Chronic Pain and Nutrition: Foods That Help | Mayo Clinic On Nutrition Podcast

Can nutrition help manage chronic pain? In this episode of On Nutrition from Mayo Clinic, registered dietitian Tara Schmidt talks with Maja Mazur and Chelsey Hoffmann, PA, RD, about the connection between food, inflammation, gut health, weight, and chronic pain. Learn how eating patterns may affect pain flare-ups, the gut-brain connection, mental health, and inflammation. The experts also break down common food myths about gluten, dairy, bananas, alcohol, red meat, sugar, and ultra-processed foods. This episode also explores supplements for chronic pain, including omega-3s, vitamin D, magnesium, collagen, glucosamine chondroitin, acetyl-L-carnitine, and alpha-lipoic acid—and how to evaluate whether they’re actually helping. In this episode, you’ll learn: • How chronic pain is defined • The link between inflammation and pain • How nutrition affects the nervous system • Foods that may worsen inflammation • Anti-inflammatory foods to focus on • Budget-friendly ways to eat well • Supplements that may support pain management • How to avoid over-restricting your diet Nutrition is one part of a whole-person approach to chronic pain. Talk with your healthcare team before making major diet or supplement changes. Listen to more On Nutrition episodes and explore additional resources at https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/podcasts/on-nutrition/ 0:00 Managing Chronic Pain With Nutrition 1:01 Maja Mazur’s Chronic Pain Story 3:16 Nutrition Counseling for Pain Management 4:13 Defining Chronic Pain Types 5:08 Inflammation and Chronic Pain Conditions 5:50 Weight, Obesity, and Pain 6:34 Nutrition, Inflammation, and Nervous System 8:42 The Gut-Brain Pain Connection 10:29 Mental Health and Pain Management 13:16 Building a Nutrition Pyramid 14:41 Chronic Pain, Nutrition, and CBT 15:34 Health or Hype: Food Myths 17:47 Alcohol, Fish, and Ginger 20:31 Red Meat and Inflammation 23:15 Sugar and Ultra-Processed Foods 25:17 Anti-Inflammatory Foods on a Budget 28:39 Finding Personal Food Triggers 31:18 Supplements for Chronic Pain 34:17 Choosing Quality Supplements 36:18 Testing Whether Supplements Help 37:29 Avoiding Obsession With Tracking 39:07 Managing Pain, Not Letting It Manage You 41:49 Final Takeaways on Pain Supplements