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Neuropathy in the Feet: The Nutrient Side of Nerve Health Few People Hear About

Alongside your doctor's care: how the protective coating around nerves works, and the nutrition questions worth asking about it.

From the editors of Everyday Nerve Notes · Paid advertising content

It often starts at night

For a lot of adults over 50, it shows up after the lights go out: a warmth in the soles that turns into burning, pins and needles in the toes, a sense that the floor is farther away than it should be. Many describe it as walking on gravel, or on broken glass.

It has many possible causes, from blood sugar to certain medications, which is why a proper medical check always comes first.

Nerves have insulation

Think of a nerve like an electrical wire. Many nerve fibers are wrapped in a protective coating called the myelin sheath, the body’s version of the plastic insulation around a cable. It helps signals travel quickly and cleanly between your feet and your brain.

When researchers study nerve health, that coating gets a lot of attention, and so do the nutrients the body uses to build and maintain it.

The vitamins nerves run on

Three B vitamins come up again and again in nerve research. B1 (thiamine) helps nerve cells turn food into energy. B12 helps the body make and maintain myelin. Folate (B9) works alongside B12 in building and repairing cells. All three support normal nerve function.

Levels can run low with age, with some diets and with some common medications, which is one reason doctors often check them.

A spice from the Japanese kitchen

Turmeric has been part of cooking across Asia for centuries, including Okinawa, the Japanese islands known for their many centenarians. Its best-known compound, curcumin, has been the subject of laboratory and early clinical research on nerve health.

That research is still developing, and no spice replaces medical care.

The 2-ingredient approach in the video

A free presentation walks through what its presenters call a 2-ingredient Japanese approach, starting with that spice. It’s produced by the seller of a nerve-support gummy, and it’s long, so set aside some time: the full explanation comes toward the end.

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