10 Dizziness (Vertigo) Treatment Foods

Find the 10 best dizziness treatment foods that help with vertigo in this article.

What is dizziness?

Dizziness is a nonspecific symptom that encompasses:^1,2

1. Vertigo
2. Disequilibrium
3. Impending faint
4. Lightheadedness

Vertigo-associated diseases

Most people complaining of vertigo suffer from a dysfunction of the inner ear structures and nerves, known as a vestibular disorder, which includes:^1,3

• Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
• Meniere’s disease
• Vestibular neuritis
• Labyrinthis

What causes dizziness?

Causes of vertigo include:

• Chemicals and solvants⁴
• Medicines⁴
• Alcohol⁵
• Smoking⁶
• Infections⁷
• Dislodged calcium crystals in the inner ear⁸
• Poor blood circulation in the inner ear⁷
• Inflammation⁹
• Heavy metal poisoning^10,11
• Lack of physical activity¹²

In addition, researchers have found that diet impacts vestibular dysfunctions.¹³

A deficiency in essential nutrients or an overabundance of unhealthy food can affect the proper functioning of the inner ear.

Also, some foods, called neutraceuticals, have health benefits on top of their basic nutritional values.¹⁴

Related: 10 Best Heavy Metal Detox Supplements

10 Dizziness (vertigo) treatment foods

Here are the 10 best dizziness treatment foods that help with vertigo:

1. Ginger

Ginger is the rhizome of a flowering plant in the Zingiberaceae family. Its scientific name is Zingiber officinale.

Since ancient times, people have used ginger as a spice or traditional remedy.

Its active substances are phenolic compounds and terpenes with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.¹⁴

Studies have reported that ginger reduces vertigo.^15,16

How to use

Using a juicer or a grater, produce the equivalent of a shot of ginger juice. Drink the shot straight or dilute it with water.

Alternatively, you can season your dishes with ginger powder or drink ginger tea.

2. Salmon

Salmon is an oily fish of the Salmonidae family native to the Atlantic and Pacific basin.

It is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D.¹⁷

Omega-3 fatty acids for dizziness

Omega-3 fatty acids represent a potential future treatment for reducing dizziness and tinnitus.¹⁴

Indeed, Meniere’s disease may be due to abnormal vasoconstriction that decreases arterial blood supply to the inner ear.¹⁸

Omega-3 fatty acids have a protective effect on the cardiovascular system and the inner ear function.¹⁸

Therefore salmon (and oily fish in general) is an excellent dizziness treatment food.

Related: Omega-3 And Fish Oil For Autism

Vitamin D for vertigo

Vitamin D deficiency is one of the possible causes of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV).^14,19

Research suggests that a deficiency in vitamin D affects calcium metabolism, dislodging calcium crystals into the semi-circular canals of the inner ear.²⁰

Studies have found that vitamin D supplementation reduces vertigo in BPPV and Meniere’s disease patients, making another reason for eating salmon as a dizziness treatment food.^14,19

How to eat

After putting the fish in a glass container, pour over a little water mixed with vegetable broth and spices, then bake in the oven.

3. Seaweed

Seaweed is a large marine algae and a common food in Asian countries.

It includes:²¹

• Nori
• Wakame
• Kombu

Seaweeds are rich in iodine.²¹

Studies have found an association between iodine deficiency and both benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and Ménière’s disease.^22,23

How to eat

Seaweed salad is commercially available in supermarkets or Asian restaurants as a starter, meal, or snack.

4. Flaxseeds

Flaxseed is an edible seed produced by flax plants (Linum usitatissimum).

It is a rich source of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) omega-3 fatty acids, as opposed to DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) omega-3s found in fish.²⁴

Flaxseeds also contain lignans, a group of polyphenols found in plants.²⁵

By lowering blood pressure and inducing vasodilatation, ALA omega-3 fatty acids and lignans have a protective effect on blood circulation, on which the proper functioning of the inner ear depends.²⁵

How to eat

The best way to consume flaxseeds and flaxseed oil is to follow Dr. Budwig’s cream recipe.

Related: 20 Health Benefits Of Flaxseed Oil And Side Effects

5. Turmeric

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a flowering plant in the Zingiberaceae family.

People use its rhizome as a spice in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking.

Besides, turmeric has a long history of use in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine.

The main active compound in turmeric is curcumin, an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic properties.²⁶  

Research has revealed that turmeric is a dizziness treatment food.²⁷

How to eat

Incorporate turmeric into your dishes as a spice, or drink a glass of water in which you have mixed a teaspoon of turmeric.

Turmeric works best when mixed with fat (like coconut oil) and pepper.

Related: 17 Health Benefits Of Turmeric Root Powder

6. Beets

Beet (also called beetroot) is the edible plant Beta vulgaris.

Beets increase blood flow

Beet root is high in nitrate, a vasodilator that increases blood flow and oxygen delivery.²⁸

Some cases of vertigo, such as Ménières’s disease and sometimes benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, are due to poor blood circulation in the inner ear.^7,29

Beets remove heavy metals

Beets are also a good source of betaine.

Betaine is a methyl donor in the methylation cycle, responsible (amongst others) for heavy metal detoxification.^30,31

Studies have shown that some forms of vertigo are the result of exposure to lead or cadmium.^10,11

For these reasons, beet is an excellent food for the treatment of dizziness.

How to use

Using a juicer, produce the equivalent of a shot of raw red beet juice.

7. Spinach

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a leafy green plant used as a vegetable.

Its leaves are a good source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) omega-3 fatty acids.³²

Consumption of ALA, in turn, raises docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) omega-3 fatty acids, which regulate blood pressure.³²

Some cases of vertigo, such as Ménières’s disease and sometimes benign positional vertigo, are due to poor blood circulation in the inner ear.^7,29

Thus, raw spinach is an excellent food for the treatment of dizziness.

How to use

Using a juicer, produce the equivalent of a shot of raw spinach juice.

Toss spinach leaves with carrots for easier grinding in the juicer.

8. Pomegranate

Pomegranate is the fruit of a shrub (Punica granatum), a member of the Lythraceae family.

It contains many phytochemicals, including polyphenols, flavonoids, tannins, and anthocyanin, which make it beneficial to health.³³

A study has reported that pomegranate juice successfully treated chronic gastric-related vertigo in two patients.³³

Therefore, pomegranate is an excellent food for the treatment of gastric-associated dizziness.

How to use

Drink 5 ml of pomegranate concentrated juice after each meal for four weeks.³³

9. Cilantro

Cilantro, also called coriander, is an annual herb in the Apiaceae family. Its scientific name is Coriandrum sativum.

The main biologically active substances in cilantro leaves are essential oils rich in aldehydes.³⁴

Worldwide, people use cilantro leaves as food in different cuisines and traditional medicine for the treatment of dizziness.³⁵

How to eat

Use cilantro leaves to season your dishes or eat a few leaves as is.

Related: 13 Health Benefits Of Cilantro (Coriander) Leaves

10. Black cumin seeds

Black cumin (Nigella sativa) is a plant of the Ranunculaceae family native to Asia.

For centuries, people have used its seeds as a spice in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions.

Black cumin seeds have also been used as a traditional remedy for hypertension, diabetes, inflammation, and dizziness.

The main active component is thymoquinone.³⁶

How to eat

You can use black cumin seed powder as a spice to season your dishes (salads, soups, and curries).

Foods to avoid with vertigo

Here are the foods to avoid with dizziness as they trigger vertigo:

• Sugar (except fruits and honey)³⁷
• Dairy products³⁸
• Gluten³⁹
• Alcohol⁴⁰
• Caffeine⁴⁰

Side effects of dizziness treatment foods

If you are not used to eating the foods mentioned above, you may feel even more dizzy, at first.

This can occur especially with foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and cilantro.

It is a transient side effect. Your body has to get used to the new diet. With time your symptoms will disappear, and you will experience an improvement.

If the case arises, reduce the quantity of dizziness treatment food, then gradually increase it again.

Related: 13 Foods That Kill Parasites In Humans

Summary: 10 Dizziness (vertigo) treatment foods

Diet impacts vestibular dysfunctions that cause vertigo.

A deficiency or an overabundance of some foods can affect the proper functioning of the inner ear.

Also, some foods have health benefits on top of their basic nutritional values.

The 10 best dizziness treatment foods that help with vertigo are:

1. Ginger
2. Salmon
3. Seaweed
4. Flaxseeds
5. Turmeric
6. Beets
7. Spinach
8. Pomegranate
9. Cilantro
10. Black cumin seeds

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