Top 8 Vitamins and Supplements for Neuropathy

Have you ever been sitting in an uncomfortable position for too long that you lost sensation or felt tingles in your legs when standing up? This is a form of neuropathy, but it’s a much simpler and mild symptom of it.

If you have never heard of neuropathy, you must be lucky not to have it. However, it is something considerably related to your health, and you should definitely know more about it.

Neuropathy is nerve damage that affects your nerve function. Neuropathy symptoms can vary from person to person depending on how severe it is. But, it typically develops sensations of tingling, burning, pain, weakness, and most commonly, numbness. Neuropathy usually occurs in your hands or feet, but it could also affect your back and other body parts. In some severe cases, neuropathy also causes damage to your internal body organs, such as your lungs, heart, or digestive system.

With every problem comes a solution. Luckily, in some cases, having the right supplements and a good food diet can easily cure neuropathy. This article will share some of the supplements for neuropathy that can regenerate your nerve function cells and eventually treat neuropathy. These supplements are effective for every type of neuropathy, including peripheral neuropathy.

What Vitamins Help Nerve Regeneration?

There are many causes of neuropathy. Like most other diseases, it could be hereditary, which means that it’s inherited genetically, or it could also be a result of a deficiency or imbalance in vitamins. 

The vitamins which contribute the most to an overall healthy nervous system that improves your nerve health are vitamins B1, B6, B7, and B12. They are also named vitamin B complex. These vitamins play an essential role in the peripheral nervous system as well as the central one. It is crucial for people with neuropathy to consume these vitamins as the human body is not wired to synthesize them by itself. Here is an example to have a deeper understanding of how these vitamins work. Your nerve fibers are covered with myelin. A deficiency in vitamin B complex, specifically vitamin B7, will result in myelin’s absence. This will create nerve damage and will eventually lead to neuropathy.

Another example is vitamin B1. It is responsible for synthesizing acetylcholine, one of the most critical neurotransmitters in the central nervous system.

Unfortunately, if neuropathy occurs and you don’t supplement your body with Vitamin B complex, it could lead to severe peripheral neuropathy symptoms that could cause permanent nerve damage.

What Can I Take Naturally for Neuropathy?

Nowadays, more people are leaning more towards preventive measures to protect their health. The perfect way to do that is by diet and exercise. Including natural foods in your diet which help prevent or cure neuropathy is a must. You must be wondering now, what are some of the natural foods that I can eat for neuropathy that will improve my nerve health? I can simply answer your question by saying it’s every type of food containing vitamin B complex, alpha-lipoic acid, and magnesium. To make things easier for you, here are some options.

1. Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) for neuropathy

•  Fresh fruits: oranges and bananas
•  Peas
•  Nuts and seeds
•  Beef
•  Liver
•  Legumes
•  Eggs

2. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) for neuropathy

•  Fish
• Bananas
• Avocados
•  Pork, chicken, or turkey
• Peanuts
•  Oats
•  Milk   

3. Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) for neuropathy

• Red meat and liver
• Poultry and fish
•  Eggs
•  Milk
•  Dairy products

4. Magnesium for neuropathy

•  Dark chocolate
• Avocados
•  Nuts
•  Tofu
• Legumes and leafy greens
• Bananas

5. Alpha-lipoic Acid for neuropathy

Although it exists in very low amounts in natural foods, Alpha-lipoic acid is essential as it works hand in hand with other vitamins to cure neuropathy.

•  Red meat
• Potatoes
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Carrots
•  Beets

Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant that has a vitamin-like chemical composition. It is considered one of the best supplements for neuropathy. It has been proven to be very effective for people with diabetic neuropathy. Alpha-lipoic acid regenerates damaged cells and restores vitamin levels in the body.

If you are not familiar with diabetic neuropathy, it’s simply a type of neuropathy that targets people with diabetes. Its symptoms can be observed in your peripheral system (peripheral neuropathy), which targets your external body feeling sensations, or your autonomic system, which is related to your internal organs.

In many clinical studies conducted on diabetic neuropathy patients, alpha-lipoic acid has helped them reduce muscle pain, numbness, and paresthesias.

What Are the Best Supplements for Neuropathy?

Your body should take all the vitamins it needs to stay healthy. However, as we’ve mentioned before, our bodies are not wired to synthesize the vitamin B complex, which is crucial for nerve function. This is where lays the importance of supplements. You can get these vitamins from natural dietary supplements, but sometimes it’s not enough, especially if you are already experiencing neuropathy symptoms. Nervous system supplements are vital as they will improve your nerve function as well as treat neuropathy.

6. Acetyl l carnitine for neuropathy

Apart from the vitamin B complex, magnesium, and alpha-lipoic acid, which we have mentioned earlier in this article, there is another great nutrient which you can add to your diet, and it’s called acetyl l carnitine. Acetyl l carnitine is an amino acid that helps our body cells to produce energy. For people who have diabetic neuropathy, it is crucial for them to take acetyl l carnitine as it’s an ideal nutrient that improves their nerve health. Some of the foods with acetyl l carnitine are beef, chicken, milk, cheese, whole wheat bread, and asparagus.

7. Glutamine for neuropathy

Glutamine is also one of the best nervous system supplements that you should take. It is very effective for people who have peripheral neuropathy, especially the one caused by cancer treatment. Here are some high glutamine foods: chicken, fish, cabbage, lentils, beans, and dairy.

8. Fish Oil for neuropathy

Another nutrient that you can add to your nervous system supplements is fish oil. It is rich in omega-3, which is highly beneficial for repairing nerve damage. If you suffer from peripheral neuropathy symptoms, fish oil will help your body prevent and alleviate muscle pain and soreness. You can add to your supplements or consume them in natural foods such as salmon, sardines, anchovies, oysters, or cod liver oil.

Does Magnesium Help Neuropathy?

Magnesium is one of the most crucial minerals contributing to our body’s health and is considered one of the vitamins for neuropathy. It is responsible for lowering blood sugar levels and preventing diabetes, reducing risks of depression due to chemical brain imbalances, reducing high blood pressure, and improving our overall immune system. A magnesium deficiency is typically caused by stress, a poor healthy diet, or medication. Unfortunately, so many of us are not aware of this. But is it also related to neuropathy?

There isn’t much data on whether a deficiency in magnesium causes neuropathy or is a direct cause. However, it has been reported that people with low magnesium consumption are at risk for Syndrome X, which causes neuropathy in the long term.

What we know and are sure of so far is that magnesium has proven to be extremely effective in muscle pain relief and nerve recovery. Some doctors even prescribe it as a supplement to their patients for post-surgery recovery. Magnesium is also helpful for people who suffer from diabetic peripheral neuropathy as they are at high risk of experiencing neuropathy symptoms. It has been proven in clinical studies that it reduces pain intensity and improves nerve repair.

Nevertheless, always check with your doctor before taking any supplement to get the right dosage.

Bottom Line 

Neuropathy is a serious medical condition, and we should all keep an eye on it. Supplying your body with vitamins for neuropathy and nervous system supplements is a must. This becomes a necessity for diabetic peripheral neuropathy patients or any person who has any type of nerve damage. Please don’t wait until it’s too late and the neuropathy symptoms get more serious.

Also, we always advise people who have underlying conditions to check beforehand with their doctor before taking any type of supplements. For instance, an excess in vitamin B complex can become harmful instead of treating neuropathy.