Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Vitamin B6 Deficiency
Jan 9th, 2009 by Kathryn Merrow
The medical community knows there is a connection between Vitamin B6 deficiency and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS.)
But the question is: Why would people have a vitamin B6 deficiency?
Here is an answer from the “Encyclopedia of Healing Foods.”
Dr. Michael Murray says that since 1950, CTS has increased “in parallel with the increased presence of compounds that interfere with vitamin B6 in the body.” In particular, Mr. Murray says that tartrazine (FD&C Yellow #5) is added to “neary every packaged food” and interferes with B6 absorption. In the US, he says, the average daily intake of certified dyes, like FD&C Yellow #5, is 15 milligrams. 85% of that is tartrazine.
That might not sound like a lot to you, but all those little bits add up and do not improve your health.
Dr. Murray suggests not eating foods with tartrazine and increasing foods rich in vitamin B6 to help relieve CTS.
If you read labels, you will find ingredients like FD&C Yellow #5 all over the place. My friend found it in the horseradish sauce she was using at lunch.
Dr. Murray also suggested taking fresh pineapple juice and ginger for their anti-inflammatory properties when you are having a CTS flare-up. Curcumin, which comes from turmeric, is also good for that reason.
So, now you might even know something that your doctor doesn’t know about why people have deficiencies in vitamin B6!
I hope you read labels and eat the foods that give you the most benefit. Those would be the foods that are as close to nature as possible.
“Because You Deserve to Feel Better!”
