Diet For Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a painful condition that affects almost 4 per cent of the adult population. Most fibromyalgia patients are women. Chemical and hormonal fluctuations might trigger this condition.
Trauma, stress, anxiety and underlying health disorders might aggravate the fibromyalgia symptoms. Health experts suggest that changes in the dietary habits might reduce the joint and muscle pain associated with fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia diet
Some health experts believe that diet could improve the condition of fibromyalgia patients by treating underlying diseases that often occur with fibromyalgia.
Often people with fibromyalgia suffer from secondary conditions such as gout, gluten intolerance, food allergies and restless leg syndrome. Fibromyalgia patients might maintain a food journal to identify the food substances that tend to worsen the body pain.
Foods to avoid
Some health experts suggest that a low carbohydrate diet might be suitable for fibromyalgia patients. Aspartame, a common artificial sweetener, could be harmful for fibromyalgia patients.
NMDA, a pain receptor present in the nervous system, opens up when acute pain is transformed into chronic pain. Aspartame could easily excite this pain receptor, which worsens the joint and muscle pain in fibromyalgia patients.
However, other artificial sweeteners such as saccharin and stevia are usually safe for people with fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia patients should avoid food additives.
Food additives such as monosodium glutamate and preservatives such as nitrates are known to excite the pain receptors. Excluding caffeine from the diet could benefit fibromyalgia sufferers. These stimulants could aggravate fatigue.
Caffeine is present in coffee, tea, chocolate and carbonated beverages. People with gluten sensitivity should avoid food products containing wheat, barley and rye. Food substances containing yeast might not be safe for fibromyalgia patients.
It might trigger fungus overgrowth, which might worsen body pain. Milk is unsafe for some fibromyalgia patients. Vegetables of the nightshade family such as peppers, eggplant, tomato and potato might worsen joint and muscle pain in people with fibromyalgia.
Foods for fibromyalgia patients
A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables is suitable for fibromyalgia patients. A vegetarian diet might reduce the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as fatty fish, fish liver oil, walnuts and flaxseeds might reduce joints pain.
