Mailbag: This Secret “Shuts Off” Nerve Pain

Dear Living Well Daily Reader,

You’ve got questions…

We’ve got answers!

Neuropathy is a painful and uncomfortable problem for many folks.

It can cause pain, tingling or numbness in your feet and legs and even pins and needles in your hands.

And if you’re diabetic, you’re at greater risk for experiencing this kind of agony.

But you’re not alone.

Many Living Well Daily readers have written in with questions about neuropathy, and today, I’m going to introduce you to a certain vitamin that may help combat it.

This simple, natural secret may help you finally shut off that nerve pain once and for all.

Let’s dive in…

Hey, Natalie,

I’ve heard neuropathy can be caused by a vitamin deficiency. Do you know if this is true? And if so, how do I find out if that’s what’s causing my problem?

Thanks,

Julian G.

Thanks for the important question, Julian.

Neuropathy is the result of damage to your nerves, and it primarily affects the legs, feet and hands. Depending on which nerves are affected, symptoms range from numbness, tingling and pain in the extremities to more severe symptoms like digestive and heart issues.

High blood sugar or diabetes can damage your nerves and cause neuropathy.

For some folks, neuropathy is a minor annoyance — for others, it can be disabling, painful and even deadly. Regardless of where you fall in this range, there’s a natural substance that can help you combat this kind of nerve damage and the pain that comes with it — vitamin B12.

In fact, having low vitamin B12 levels can increase your risk of experiencing neuropathy, regardless if it’s caused by diabetes or not.

But being diabetic puts you at even greater risk for experiencing neuropathy.

You see, diabetics are 22 percent more likely to be B12 deficient than folks without diabetes. And when you couple that with the fact that one of the leading diabetes medications, metformin, can rapidly decrease your vitamin B12 levels, you can see why many diabetics experience neuropathy.

So if you’re diabetic and taking metformin, there’s a good chance you’ll develop neuropathy.

But diabetes and medications aren’t your only worries when it comes to depleting B12 levels. Age, poor diet, certain acid-reflux meds and drinking alcohol can also lower your levels and lead to painful neuropathy.

On the other hand, maintaining a healthy B12 level can protect your nerves and help keep your neuropathy symptoms at bay.

Fortunately, upping your B12 intake is easy to do on your own. One easy way is to eat more B12-rich foods, like red meat, eggs and poultry. Or you can simply take a B12 supplement. For best results, find a supplement that contains B12 in its natural form, methylcobalamin.

If you suspect you’re B12 deficient, you should talk to you doctor about it. They can order a simple blood test to determine your status and may recommend B12 injections or supplementations to boost your levels.

Do you have any health questions you want answered? Drop me a line at nmoore@lfb.org.

Live well,

Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily

Ed. Note: Please send your feedback: nmoore@lfb.org – and click here to like us on Facebook.


Sources

[1] Nutritional and Vitamin Deficiency Neuropathy

[2] The Prevalence of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study

[3] Study of Vitamin B12 deficiency and peripheral neuropathy in metformin-treated early Type 2 diabetes mellitus

[4] Keeping Tabs on Vitamin B Advised with Metformin

Natalie Moore

Written By Natalie Moore

Natalie Moore is a dedicated health researcher with a passion for finding healthy, natural, and science-based solutions. After a decade of direct healthcare experience in western and natural medicine, she was involved in public health research before joining Living Well Daily.

View More Free Articles

Ease Anxiety with THIS Belly Hack

I’m always encouraging patients to focus on their gastrointestinal health. It’s often overlooked—and well-balanced belly bugs are vital for overall good health. So I’m not surprised that I’ve seen a lot of folks lately who have told me that working on their gut balance has been absolutely LIFE-CHANGING. But it’s NOT in the way you’re...

Read This

Is Fish Oil Enough? (What You Might be Missing Out On)

I love talking about the active elements in foods because it highlights the powerful health benefits of those individual ingredients. Take fish oil, for instance. If you search the Living Well Daily archives, you’d likely find THOUSANDS of references to this golden fish extract. Fish oil contains the essential fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and...

Read This

The STUNNING Truth About Back Pain

“I feel like I can barely do anything anymore because of my back pain. I’m always taking pain meds. What else can help?” – Ed, Huntsville, AL Hi Ed, Brace yourself. What I’m about to tell you about back pain will no doubt come as a surprise. It might even seem downright unbelievable at first....

Read This

FILTHY FACTS About Your Cell Phone

Taking a trip to the bathroom used to be a break from the chaos of daily life. It’s likely at least partially responsible for the nickname restroom. After all, there wasn’t much to do in that room unless you had a magazine to read. But nowadays, for many of us, the restroom is anything BUT...

Read This

EAR Test Protects Your BRAIN?

Hearing loss has a habit of sneaking up on folks. Typically, it happens so slowly that you don’t notice it until you’ve lost a SIGNIFICANT amount of hearing. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 8 percent of adults 55 to 64 have disabling hearing loss. That number jumps to 25 percent for people...

Read This

Missing "Lucky Penny" Mineral Harms Your Heart

Dear Living Well Daily Reader, Some nutrients get all the glory. There are the vitamin A-Listers like C, D, and E. And although minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium might be considered B-List stars, they ALSO get their fair share of attention. But one vital nutrient never gets to walk the red carpet. And that...

Read This

Risk of Stroke SURGES 50% Worldwide?!

It’s NOT good news. A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO), confirmed that the chance of having a stroke has skyrocketed by a whopping 50 percent in the last twenty years. According to the WHO, that means your stroke risk is now about one in four. Next time you’re in a crowd, look...

Read This

Is Tofu GOOD for You? (The Truth REVEALED)

I often wonder why so many people are passionate about tofu. There’s something about it that triggers strong emotions. Some folks HATE it, while others LOVE it. But is it good for you? Well, it’s complicated. Tofu is a fermented soy product. It tastes bland alone. But it takes on the taste of whatever you...

Read This

Bizarre New Cell Phone Risk (Beware)

I sometimes joke with my (adult) kids. “Do you know,” I ask, “that the PHONE you carry around with you all the time can make phone calls?” They laugh and mumble, “Old,” under their breath. I swear the generations who grew up with a cell phone attached to their palm will do almost anything to...

Read This

MAILBAG: Crush COPD Symptoms NATURALLY

“Got any natural treatments for COPD?” – Mike, Ann Arbor, MI Dear Mike, Unfortunately, COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, is a common condition. In fact, it’s now the third leading cause of death in the United States. COPD causes the airways to constrict, making breathing difficult or uncomfortable. Persistent coughing, excess mucus production, wheezing,...

Read This