MD Podiatrist Discusses the Role of Diet and Plantar Fasciitis

Studies show that certain foods like red meat are pro-inflammatory, driving conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. So it would make sense that these pro-inflammatory foods could also affect plantar fasciitis, another inflammatory condition. “Although no direct evidence-based literature has been established on plantar fasciitis, I can indirectly relate decreasing inflammation with a whole food plant-based diet,” says Daniel Michaels, DPM. “Diets high in fat and processed meats have been associated with inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and homocysteine while a low-fat, high-fiber whole food plant-based diet can reduce those markers, which can help decrease pain and joint tenderness in the lower extremity.”
 
 
Inflammation aside, there may be another obvious case for adopting a whole food plant-based diet for plantar fasciitis, namely weight loss. In a review study of more than 10,000 people on various diets, those who ate a plant-based diet took in less energy overall, and the authors concluded that “a shift to a plant-based diet may have beneficial health effects on body weight” and BMI. “Obesity increases strain on lower extremity joints, tendons, and ligaments such as the plantar fascia on the bottom of the foot,” Dr. Michaels says. One of the benefits of eating a whole food plant-based diet is that if you avoid processed foods, you’re likely to lose weight.