Muscle cramps are an uncomfortable symptom characterized by painful and involuntary contractions of a muscle or part of a muscle. Also known as muscle spasms, they occur when the muscle involuntarily and forcibly contracts uncontrollably and cannot relax. If you're experiencing muscle spasms as a symptom of fibromyalgia, natural muscle relaxants, such as magnesium and cayenne pepper, may relieve you. There is no pill or injection that instantly relieves muscle spasms, so the best thing you can do is stretch the affected muscle and massage it.Using a warm towel or heating pad on tense or tense muscles can help ease the pain.
Taking a warm bath or directing the stream of a hot shower to a tight muscle may also help. Alternatively, massaging the tight muscle with ice can also provide relief. Bananas are a good source of potassium, magnesium, and calcium - all four nutrients you need to relieve the muscle cramps that lie beneath that yellow skin. Legumes, such as beans and lentils, are full of magnesium.
A cup of cooked lentils contains approximately 71 milligrams of magnesium, and a cup of cooked black beans has almost twice as much, at 120 milligrams. In addition, they are high in fiber, and studies show that high-fiber foods can help alleviate menstrual cramps, as well as control blood sugar and lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol.Nuts and seeds are also a great source of magnesium. For example, 1 ounce of roasted sunflower seeds contains approximately 37 milligrams of magnesium and 1 ounce of roasted and salted almonds has twice as much. Many types of nuts and seeds also contain calcium and magnesium.Here are 12 foods that can help with muscle cramps:
- Avocados - Avocados are creamy, delicious fruits that are packed with nutrients that can help prevent muscle cramps.
- Watermelon - Watermelon is a fruit that has an exceptionally high water content.
In fact, watermelon contains almost 92% water, making it an excellent choice as a hydrating snack.
- Sweet potatoes - Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of potassium and magnesium. In fact, 1 cup (200 grams) of sweet potato puree provides more than 20% of the recommended intake of potassium and almost 13% of the recommended intake of magnesium.
- Greek yogurt - Muscles need calcium to function properly, so a lack of calcium in the blood can cause complications related to muscles (including muscles) cramps and irregular heartbeats. Therefore, eating Greek yogurt after an intense workout can help to replenish certain nutrients that can prevent exercise-related muscle cramps as well as boost muscle recovery.
- Bone broth - Research shows that lowering the pH of bone broth (by increasing acidity and cooking the broth for longer) (more than 8 hours) results in significantly higher concentrations of calcium and magnesium in the finished product.
- Papayas - Papayas are tasty tropical fruits (high in potassium and magnesium). In fact, an 11-ounce (310 grams) papaya provides approximately 15% and 19% of the recommended intake of potassium and magnesium, respectively.
- Salmon - Salmon is an incredibly rich source of protein, healthy anti-inflammatory fats and other nutrients that can help prevent muscle cramps, such as B vitamins, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.
In addition, salmon is a good source of vitamin D. Healthy blood levels of vitamin D are vital for muscle function, and a deficiency of this nutrient can cause muscle symptoms, such as muscle pain, spasms and weakness.
- Anchovies - These small fish are especially rich in nutrients that can help prevent and relieve muscle cramps, such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, vitamin D and magnesium.
