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Relieve Fibromyalgia With These Simple Dietary Tips
Date: 20/01/10
The following tips may help to alleviate your symptoms:
Fibromyalgia is a debilitating condition characterized by muscle and tissue pain, fatigue, depression, and sleep disturbances. Alongside diabetes and heart disease, it has become one of the most pervasive 21st Century diseases. Recent studies suggest that people with fibromyalgia may be genetically predisposed to the condition.
In addition, the latest research suggests that central sensitisation - a process in which neurons in your spinal cord become sensitised by inflammation or cell damage - may play a role in the way fibromyalgia sufferers process pain.
The researchers believe that certain chemicals in food may trigger the release of neurotransmitters that heighten the sensitivity of neurons in your spinal cord, causing the central sensitisation. These findings may help to explain why up to 42 per cent of patients in a survey reported that certain foods aggravated their symptoms.
The link between food and chronic pain
There have been only a handful of studies exploring the link between diet and fibromyalgia and if you suffer from this condition, then you already know how frustrating it is to manage.
Fibromyalgia is notoriously difficult to treat. Medication tends to reduce symptoms only by about 30-50 per cent. Plus it can be extremely confusing sorting through all the conflicting nutritional advice about which foods to eat and which to avoid...
You may find it useful to work with a qualified nutritionist to determine whether certain foods are making your condition worse. In addition, the following tips may help to alleviate your symptoms:
1.Fibromyalgia - Limit your sugar intake as much as possible: Increased insulin levels will typically worsen pain and dramatically increase sensitivity. It therefore makes perfect sense to limit the intake of all sugars including fresh fruit juices. Whole fresh fruit is the preferred method for consuming fruit products.
2.Fibromyalgia - Avoid caffeine: “Caffeine is a loan shark for energy. We recommend not using a lot,” says Dr. Kent Holtorf, the founding medical director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centre in the US. He explains that though caffeine provides an initial boost of energy, it is no substitute for sleep; in fact, it can stay in your system for several hours and keep you awake long after you’ve finished a cuppa joe.
Fibromyalgia is believed to be linked to an imbalance of brain chemicals that control mood, and it is often linked with inadequate sleep and fatigue. Therefore, it can be tempting to eliminate feelings of fatigue artificially with stimulants like caffeine. In the long run this approach does more harm than good.
3.Fibromyalgia - Eat fresh foods: Eating a diet of fresh foods, devoid of preservatives and additives, may ease symptoms triggered by coexisting conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Several studies have shown that symptoms improved in fibromyalgia patients who followed vegan and vegetarian diets.
Normally veggies are low-cal, healthy options. However, the nightshade variety - including tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant - are believed to trigger arthritis and pain conditions in some people. "The thought is that they [nightshade vegetables] have components that are neurotoxins. For a small percentage of patients, cutting them out makes a dramatic difference," says Dr. Holtorf.
4.Fibromyalgia - Boost your intake of omega-3s: Omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon and a variety of oily fish, have been found to promote heart health and lower inflammation, new research shows they may also help alleviate pain.
"The fatty acids are great," says Dr. Holtorf. "They reduce the inflammation and help brain function." A 2006 survey of arthritis patients found that daily fish oil supplements reduced pain symptoms in 60 per cent of the patients. Omega- 3s have not, however, been tested on fibromyalgia patients specifically.
5.Fibromyalgia - Minimise your yeast intake: Yeast, along with its partner in crime, gluten, can be found in a variety of baked goods. Consuming yeast may also contribute to the growth of yeast fungus in the body, says Dr. Holtorf, which can contribute to pain. Fibromyalgia patients may also be more prone to gluten sensitivities.
6.Fibromyalgia - Cut down on dairy consumption: Lactose intolerance affects about 70 per cent of adults worldwide, so it's not surprising that many fibromyalgia patients have trouble digesting milk and dairy products as well.
In a 1998 study, researchers tested whether blood samples taken from 40 fibromyalgia patients reacted to substances found in various foods; the blood of 25 per cent of the subjects demonstrated an immune response to cow dairy products.
7.Fibromyalgia - Lower your carbohydrate intake: "If I had to choose one particular diet for fibromyalgia patients, I would choose a low-carb, low-sugar diet," says Dr. Holtorf. "About 90 per cent of fibromyalgia patients have low adrenal functioning," he adds, “which affects the metabolism of carbohydrates and may lead to hypoglycaemia. These people crave sugar, but they also experience the crash that follows the initial energy high.”
8.Fibromyalgia - Avoid aspartame and artificial sweeteners: "Getting off of [aspartame] can make some pain patients feel much better," says Dr. Holtorf. The artificial sweetener found in diet fizzy drinks and many sugar-free sweets is part of a chemical group called excitotoxins, which activate neurons that can increase sensitivity to pain. Though aspartame isn’t dangerous to healthy people when consumed in moderation, fibromyalgia patients are already sensitive to pain, and aspartame may heighten their sensitivity.
Some artificial sweeteners can trigger IBS as well. Since about half of fibromyalgia patients suffer from IBS, foods that irritate your bowel could trigger fibromyalgia symptoms.
9.Fibromyalgia - Avoid additives: Food additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) often cause trouble for pain patients. MSG is an excitatory neurotransmitter that may stimulate pain receptors; glutamate levels in spinal fluid have been shown to be linked with pain levels in fibromyalgia patients.
A 1995 report commissioned by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that MSG may cause short-term reactions such as headaches, and a 2007 animal study in the journal Pain suggested that increases in glutamate in muscles may contribute to pain sensitivity.
10.Fibromyalgia - Stay away from junk food: The National Fibromyalgia Research Association recommends limiting or eliminating refined sugar, caffeine, alcohol, fried foods, trans fats, red meat, and highly processed foods — in other words, most fast food and vending machine products. In addition to contributing to weight gain and the development of unhealthy eating habits, these diet-wreckers may also irritate muscles, disrupt sleep, and compromise the immune system.
Finally, experimenting with an "elimination diet" and cutting these foods out completely for several weeks — either one at a time or all at once — may help you decide whether they affect your fibromyalgia symptoms. It's also smart to to keep your weight within healthy ranges: Studies show that losing weight can improve fibromyalgia symptoms in overweight individuals.
Fibromyalgia - Related Reading:
CherryActive: Much-Needed Relief To Gout, Fibromyalgia And Arthritis Sufferers
Fibromyalgia Signs & How To Get Relief From Symptoms
Acupuncture May Help To Relieve Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Fibromyalgia: Natural Remedies That Can Help Alleviate Symptoms
Sources:
Fibromyalgia – Official website Fibromyalgia website, fibromyalgia.co.uk
Statistics by Country for Fibromyalgia, published online, wrongdiagnosis.com
Nutritional Treatments for Fibromyalgia, published online, fmaware.org
Lactose Intolerance, published online, health.com
10 Diet Commandments for Pain Patients, published online, health.com
Back to topIn addition, the latest research suggests that central sensitisation - a process in which neurons in your spinal cord become sensitised by inflammation or cell damage - may play a role in the way fibromyalgia sufferers process pain.
The researchers believe that certain chemicals in food may trigger the release of neurotransmitters that heighten the sensitivity of neurons in your spinal cord, causing the central sensitisation. These findings may help to explain why up to 42 per cent of patients in a survey reported that certain foods aggravated their symptoms.
The link between food and chronic pain
There have been only a handful of studies exploring the link between diet and fibromyalgia and if you suffer from this condition, then you already know how frustrating it is to manage.
Fibromyalgia is notoriously difficult to treat. Medication tends to reduce symptoms only by about 30-50 per cent. Plus it can be extremely confusing sorting through all the conflicting nutritional advice about which foods to eat and which to avoid...
You may find it useful to work with a qualified nutritionist to determine whether certain foods are making your condition worse. In addition, the following tips may help to alleviate your symptoms:
1.Fibromyalgia - Limit your sugar intake as much as possible: Increased insulin levels will typically worsen pain and dramatically increase sensitivity. It therefore makes perfect sense to limit the intake of all sugars including fresh fruit juices. Whole fresh fruit is the preferred method for consuming fruit products.
2.Fibromyalgia - Avoid caffeine: “Caffeine is a loan shark for energy. We recommend not using a lot,” says Dr. Kent Holtorf, the founding medical director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centre in the US. He explains that though caffeine provides an initial boost of energy, it is no substitute for sleep; in fact, it can stay in your system for several hours and keep you awake long after you’ve finished a cuppa joe.
Fibromyalgia is believed to be linked to an imbalance of brain chemicals that control mood, and it is often linked with inadequate sleep and fatigue. Therefore, it can be tempting to eliminate feelings of fatigue artificially with stimulants like caffeine. In the long run this approach does more harm than good.
3.Fibromyalgia - Eat fresh foods: Eating a diet of fresh foods, devoid of preservatives and additives, may ease symptoms triggered by coexisting conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Several studies have shown that symptoms improved in fibromyalgia patients who followed vegan and vegetarian diets.
Normally veggies are low-cal, healthy options. However, the nightshade variety - including tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant - are believed to trigger arthritis and pain conditions in some people. "The thought is that they [nightshade vegetables] have components that are neurotoxins. For a small percentage of patients, cutting them out makes a dramatic difference," says Dr. Holtorf.
4.Fibromyalgia - Boost your intake of omega-3s: Omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon and a variety of oily fish, have been found to promote heart health and lower inflammation, new research shows they may also help alleviate pain.
"The fatty acids are great," says Dr. Holtorf. "They reduce the inflammation and help brain function." A 2006 survey of arthritis patients found that daily fish oil supplements reduced pain symptoms in 60 per cent of the patients. Omega- 3s have not, however, been tested on fibromyalgia patients specifically.
5.Fibromyalgia - Minimise your yeast intake: Yeast, along with its partner in crime, gluten, can be found in a variety of baked goods. Consuming yeast may also contribute to the growth of yeast fungus in the body, says Dr. Holtorf, which can contribute to pain. Fibromyalgia patients may also be more prone to gluten sensitivities.
6.Fibromyalgia - Cut down on dairy consumption: Lactose intolerance affects about 70 per cent of adults worldwide, so it's not surprising that many fibromyalgia patients have trouble digesting milk and dairy products as well.
In a 1998 study, researchers tested whether blood samples taken from 40 fibromyalgia patients reacted to substances found in various foods; the blood of 25 per cent of the subjects demonstrated an immune response to cow dairy products.
7.Fibromyalgia - Lower your carbohydrate intake: "If I had to choose one particular diet for fibromyalgia patients, I would choose a low-carb, low-sugar diet," says Dr. Holtorf. "About 90 per cent of fibromyalgia patients have low adrenal functioning," he adds, “which affects the metabolism of carbohydrates and may lead to hypoglycaemia. These people crave sugar, but they also experience the crash that follows the initial energy high.”
8.Fibromyalgia - Avoid aspartame and artificial sweeteners: "Getting off of [aspartame] can make some pain patients feel much better," says Dr. Holtorf. The artificial sweetener found in diet fizzy drinks and many sugar-free sweets is part of a chemical group called excitotoxins, which activate neurons that can increase sensitivity to pain. Though aspartame isn’t dangerous to healthy people when consumed in moderation, fibromyalgia patients are already sensitive to pain, and aspartame may heighten their sensitivity.
Some artificial sweeteners can trigger IBS as well. Since about half of fibromyalgia patients suffer from IBS, foods that irritate your bowel could trigger fibromyalgia symptoms.
9.Fibromyalgia - Avoid additives: Food additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) often cause trouble for pain patients. MSG is an excitatory neurotransmitter that may stimulate pain receptors; glutamate levels in spinal fluid have been shown to be linked with pain levels in fibromyalgia patients.
A 1995 report commissioned by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that MSG may cause short-term reactions such as headaches, and a 2007 animal study in the journal Pain suggested that increases in glutamate in muscles may contribute to pain sensitivity.
10.Fibromyalgia - Stay away from junk food: The National Fibromyalgia Research Association recommends limiting or eliminating refined sugar, caffeine, alcohol, fried foods, trans fats, red meat, and highly processed foods — in other words, most fast food and vending machine products. In addition to contributing to weight gain and the development of unhealthy eating habits, these diet-wreckers may also irritate muscles, disrupt sleep, and compromise the immune system.
Finally, experimenting with an "elimination diet" and cutting these foods out completely for several weeks — either one at a time or all at once — may help you decide whether they affect your fibromyalgia symptoms. It's also smart to to keep your weight within healthy ranges: Studies show that losing weight can improve fibromyalgia symptoms in overweight individuals.
Fibromyalgia - Related Reading:
CherryActive: Much-Needed Relief To Gout, Fibromyalgia And Arthritis Sufferers
Fibromyalgia Signs & How To Get Relief From Symptoms
Acupuncture May Help To Relieve Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Fibromyalgia: Natural Remedies That Can Help Alleviate Symptoms
Sources:
Fibromyalgia – Official website Fibromyalgia website, fibromyalgia.co.uk
Statistics by Country for Fibromyalgia, published online, wrongdiagnosis.com
Nutritional Treatments for Fibromyalgia, published online, fmaware.org
Lactose Intolerance, published online, health.com
10 Diet Commandments for Pain Patients, published online, health.com
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