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1.
New Hope for Fibromyalgia Patients
Metagenics Institute is a trusted, peer-to-peer, evidence-based educational resource for nutrition and personalized medicine. At Metagenics Institute, we translate credible research with scientific integrity into innovative and actionable clinical decision-making. Metagenics Institute supports a diverse practitioner base to optimize patient outcomes by shifting existing paradigms in healthcare.
2023
Abstract
This podcast features Dr Kara Fitzgerald in conversation with Dr. Erik Lundquist, who heads a large, integrative clinic out in Southern California. Erik recently completed a clinical pilot study looking at the use of SPMs (just 2 gelcaps per day) in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia (Dr. Lundquist reports that the bulk of these patients have underlying mold exposure or Lyme as the primary etiology for FMS).
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Effects of Antioxidants on Pain Perception in Patients with Fibromyalgia-A Systematic Review.
Fernández-Araque, A, Verde, Z, Torres-Ortega, C, Sainz-Gil, M, Velasco-Gonzalez, V, González-Bernal, JJ, Mielgo-Ayuso, J
Journal of clinical medicine. 2022;11(9)
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Fibromyalgia (FM) is characterised by widespread chronic pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive impairment. As a result of oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced and improperly disposed of, resulting in peripheral and central sensitisations, and a reduction of the pain threshold in FM patients. It is well known that antioxidants are protective against oxidative stress and that reducing antioxidant levels can result in increased pain in patients with FM. An overview of 17 studies was conducted to evaluate the effect of antioxidant supplementation on pain perception and the appropriate duration of treatment for FM patients in this systematic review. This systematic review found that supplementation with Fibromyalgine® (Fib) (that contains vitamin C, acerola ginger root, and freeze-dried royal jelly), 300-400 gm/d of coenzyme Q10 alone in combination with Pregabalin, ferric carboxymaltose, vitamin C, E, and Nigella sativa, magnesium + amitriptyline, acetyl L-carnitine, and Sun Chlorella™ green algae are effective in reducing pain perception in FM patients. In patients with FM, alpha-lipoic acid supplementation significantly reduced pain scores. 80% of FM patients reported reduced pain after supplement treatment for at least six weeks. There is a need for further robust long-term studies to confirm the effectiveness and clinical applicability of antioxidants in the management of FM, as well as to identify the pathophysiology of FM. This research may, however, be used by healthcare professionals to gain a better understanding of the potential benefits of antioxidants in the treatment of pain associated with FM.
Abstract
In recent years, antioxidant supplements have become popular to counteract the effects of oxidative stress in fibromyalgia and one of its most distressing symptoms, pain. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the effects of antioxidant supplementation on pain levels perceived by patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia. The words used respected the medical search terms related to our objective including antioxidants, fibromyalgia, pain, and supplementation. Seventeen relevant articles were identified within Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science (WOS), the Cochrane Database of Systematic Review, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. This review found that antioxidant supplementation is efficient in reducing pain in nine of the studies reviewed. Studies with a duration of supplementation of at least 6 weeks showed a benefit on pain perception in 80% of the patients included in these studies. The benefits shown by vitamins and coenzyme Q10 are remarkable. Further research is needed to identify the effects of other types of antioxidants, such as extra virgin olive oil and turmeric. More homogeneous interventions in terms of antioxidant doses administered and duration would allow the effects on pain to be addressed more comprehensively.
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Vegetarian and Vegan Diet in Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review.
Nadal-Nicolás, Y, Miralles-Amorós, L, Martínez-Olcina, M, Sánchez-Ortega, M, Mora, J, Martínez-Rodríguez, A
International journal of environmental research and public health. 2021;18(9)
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Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic non-degenerative disease of unknown etiology without effective medical treatment that mostly affects women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of mainly plant-based diets in patients with FM compared to omnivorous diets. A secondary aim was to examine the main effects of these diets on patients’ symptoms and the improvement in their quality of life. This study is a systemic review of six studies (n = 4 clinical trials and n = 2 observational cohort studies). The selected studies included 157 FM patients in both the intervention and control groups, and more than 117 were women. Results indicate that a mainly plant-based diet improves biochemical parameters and body inflammation; body weight, sleep quality, quality of life, pain at rest as well as other symptoms of FM and their impact on health. Authors conclude that even though their findings are promising further well-designed clinical trials are needed to consolidate these dietary recommendations in FM patient.
Abstract
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic non-degenerative disease characterized by the presence of multiple symptoms such as chronic pain, which negatively influence the quality of life of sufferers, most of whom are women. Currently, there is no effective treatment to limit the impact of these symptoms. The aim of this research is to review the scientific evidence on the effect of following a vegetarian or vegan diet on fibromyalgia patients. A systematic review included the original articles that answered the research question. These articles were in 2021 in the PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases. The research used the PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) guidelines. No time restriction was applied, and grey literature was not included. The evaluation of the methodological quality of the articles was carried out using the following different scales: STROBE (strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology), PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Database), and MMAT (Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool) scales. A total of 88 studies were analyzed, of which 6 investigations were included in this systematic review (n = 4 clinical trials and n = 2 cohort studies). These investigations show significant improvements in biochemical parameters, quality of life, quality of sleep, pain at rest and general health status when following mainly plant-based dietary patterns. In conclusion, these findings are promising but interpretation of the findings is limited due to the methodological quality of the studies. Well-designed clinical trials are needed to consolidate these dietary recommendations in FM patients.
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Dietary Patterns and Interventions to Alleviate Chronic Pain.
Dragan, S, Șerban, MC, Damian, G, Buleu, F, Valcovici, M, Christodorescu, R
Nutrients. 2020;12(9)
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A common symptom of many conditions is pain, with chronic pain being a significant cause of emotional distress and disability. Chronic pain is associated with a pro-inflammatory state. Diet interventions can be a helpful tool for the management of chronic pain and its associated inflammation. The increase of nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich foods and the reduction of pro-inflammatory foods, as well as correcting nutrient deficiencies, all appear to have a positive effect on pain. Whilst previous research on the impact of diet therapy in chronic pain yielded varied results, the authors of this article sought to analyse the most important literature to gain more clarity and direction for future research. After a detailed introduction on the different types of pain, the article summarises the outcome of a range of dietary interventions for chronic pain management. These include calorie restriction and fasting, polyunsaturated fatty acids, low-fat plant-based diets, high protein diet, elimination diet, antioxidants and vitamins including vitamin D, fruits and fibres, prebiotics and probiotics. In the discussion, a helpful table presents the key results organised by type of pain (chronic musculoskeletal pain, chronic headache, neuropathic pain, chronic abdominal pain) and the clinical interventions that showed positive outcomes. In conclusion, diet interventions could be part of a multidisciplinary approach in the management of chronic pain. This article yields an oversight of the possible interventions to consider when supporting people with different types of chronic pain.
Abstract
Pain is one of the main problems for modern society and medicine, being the most common symptom described by almost all patients. When pain becomes chronic, the life of the patients is dramatically affected, being associated with significant emotional distress and/or functional disability. A complex biopsychosocial evaluation is necessary to better understand chronic pain, where good results can be obtained through interconnected biological, psychological, and social factors. The aim of this study was to find the most relevant articles existent in the PubMed database, one of the most comprehensive databases for medical literature, comprising dietary patterns to alleviate chronic pain. Through a combined search using the keywords "chronic pain" and "diet" limited to the last 10 years we obtained 272 results containing the types of diets used for chronic pain published in the PubMed database. Besides classical and alternative methods of treatment described in literature, it was observed that different diets are also a valid solution, due to many components with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities capable to influence chronic pain and to improve the quality of life. Thirty-eight clinical studies and randomized controlled trials are analyzed, in an attempt to characterize present-day dietary patterns and interventions to alleviate chronic pain.
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Psychological and Sleep Effects of Tryptophan and Magnesium-Enriched Mediterranean Diet in Women with Fibromyalgia.
Martínez-Rodríguez, A, Rubio-Arias, JÁ, Ramos-Campo, DJ, Reche-García, C, Leyva-Vela, B, Nadal-Nicolás, Y
International journal of environmental research and public health. 2020;17(7)
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Fibromyalgia is a syndrome with unknown cause, characterised by muscle pain and physical exhaustion and is especially common in women aged 20-55 years. Anxiety, mood disturbance and psychological disorders are also often reported. Two micronutrients found in food, which may be of benefit to fibromyalgia patients are tryptophan (TRY) and magnesium (MG). This randomised control trial aimed to determine the effects of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with TRY and MG in 22 women with fibromyalgia for 16 weeks. The results showed that supplementation improved anxiety, mood, eating disorders and body image, but did not affect sleep quality. It was concluded that Mediterranean diet supplemented with TRY and MG was of benefit to anxiety, depression and reduced eating disorders but did not affect sleep quality. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to recommend a Mediterranean diet enriched with TRY and MG to improve symptoms of depression and anxiety in women with fibromyalgia.
Abstract
Anxiety, mood disturbance, eating and sleep disorders, and dissatisfaction with body image are prevalent disorders in women with fibromyalgia. The authors of this study aimed to determine the effects of tryptophan (TRY) and magnesium-enriched (MG) Mediterranean diet on psychological variables (trait anxiety, mood state, eating disorders, self-image perception) and sleep quality in women with fibromyalgia (n = 22; 49 ± 5 years old). In this randomized, controlled trial, the participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the placebo group. The intervention group received a Mediterranean diet enriched with high doses of TRY and MG (60 mg of TRY and 60 mg of MG), whereas the control group received the standard Mediterranean diet. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire, Body Shape Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Profile of Mood States (POMS-29) Questionnaire, Eating Attitudes Test-26, and Trait Anxiety Inventory were completed before and 16 weeks after the intervention. Significant differences were observed between groups after the intervention for the mean scores of trait anxiety (p = 0.001), self-image perception (p = 0.029), mood disturbance (p = 0.001), and eating disorders (p = 0.006). This study concludes that tryptophan and magnesium-enriched Mediterranean diet reduced anxiety symptoms, mood disturbance, eating disorders, and dissatisfaction with body image but did not improve sleep quality in women with fibromyalgia.
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Dietary interventions in fibromyalgia: a systematic review.
Silva, AR, Bernardo, A, Costa, J, Cardoso, A, Santos, P, de Mesquita, MF, Vaz Patto, J, Moreira, P, Silva, ML, Padrão, P
Annals of medicine. 2019;51(sup1):2-14
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Fibromyalgia is a long-term health condition causing widespread pain and is often accompanied by other symptoms such as extreme tiredness, headaches and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Several different dietary approaches have shown some potential in reducing the symptoms of fibromyalgia. In this meta-analysis, researchers looked at seven previous trials that examined five different dietary approaches: low-calorie; low FODMAPs (fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides and polyols); gluten-free; vegan; and a monosodium glutamate (MSG) and aspartame-free diet. Pain and function improved with the low calorie diet, a raw vegan diet and the low FODMAPs diet. Other outcomes, such as quality of life, quality of sleep, anxiety and depression and inflammation also showed a significant improvement with these interventions. However, all of the studies were of low quality, and whilst there were some promising results, there is not currently enough evidence to recommend any of these dietary approaches. More well-designed clinical trials are needed on the effects of dietary approaches on fibromyalgia symptoms.
Abstract
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic non-degenerative disease, whose nutritional therapy seems controversial. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the knowledge about the effect of dietary interventions on patient-reported outcomes (PRO) and inflammation in patients with FM. Six electronic databases - PubMed, BioMed Central, Cochrane library, EMBASE, LILACS and ISI - were searched for clinical trials, in which a dietary intervention in patients with FM diagnosed was conducted. Quality of evidence assessment was measured in accordance with GRADE methodology. Seven clinical trials - 3 randomized controlled trials, 1 unrandomized clinical trial and 3 uncontrolled clinical trials were identified. Dietary approaches included gluten-free diet (n = 1), raw vegetarian diet (n = 2), low Fermentable oligo-, di- and monossacharides, alcohols and polyols (FODMAPs) diet (n = 1), hypocaloric diet (n = 2) and monosodium glutamate- and aspartame-free diet interventions (n = 1). The major PRO were pain and functional repercussion, with 5 out of 7 studies reporting an improvement. The progress in secondary outcomes was reported for fatigue (2/5 studies), sleep quality (2/3 studies), depression and anxiety (3/6 studies), quality of life (4/5 studies), gastrointestinal symptoms (1/2 studies) and inflammatory biomarkers (1/1 study). However, according to Cochrane Risk of Bias, these studies had poor statistical quality. Well-designed studies should be performed to investigate the dietary interventions effect on FM. Key messages Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic non-degenerative disease, whose nutritional therapy seems controversial but promising. Pain and functional repercussion in FM patients seem to improve with a hypocaloric diet, a raw vegetarian diet or a low FODMAPs diet, as much as quality of life, quality of sleep, anxiety and depression and inflammatory biomarkers. Existing studies in this subject are scarce and low quality, which does not allow conclusions to be drawn.
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The Association of Body Mass Index and Body Composition with Pain, Disease Activity, Fatigue, Sleep and Anxiety in Women with Fibromyalgia.
Correa-Rodríguez, M, Mansouri-Yachou, JE, Casas-Barragán, A, Molina, F, Rueda-Medina, B, Aguilar-Ferrandiz, ME
Nutrients. 2019;11(5)
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Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition causing symptoms such as widespread pain, fatigue, trouble sleeping and problems with memory and concentration. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between body mass index (BMI), body composition and fibromyalgia symptoms. 73 women with fibromyalgia and 73 healthy controls, matched on weight, were included in this cross-sectional study. Women with a higher BMI had more severe symptoms of fibromyalgia. Fat mass and visceral fat were associated with poorer quality sleep. The study’s authors concluded that promoting an ideal BMI may help to reduce some of the symptoms for women with fibromyalgia.
Abstract
The link between fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and obesity has not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among body mass index (BMI) and body composition parameters, including fat mass, fat mass percentage, and visceral fat, as well as FMS features, such as tender point count (TPC), pain, disease activity, fatigue, sleep quality, and anxiety, in a population of FMS women and healthy controls. A total of seventy-three women with FMS and seventy-three healthy controls, matched on weight, were included in this cross-sectional study. We used a body composition analyzer to measure fat mass, fat mass percentage, and visceral fat. Tender point count (TPC) was measured by algometry pressure. The disease severity was measured with the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ-R) and self-reported global pain was evaluated with the visual analog scale (VAS). To measure the quality of sleep, fatigue, and anxiety we used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire (PSQI), the Spanish version of the multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), respectively. Of the women in this study, 38.4% and 31.5% were overweight and obese, respectively. Significant differences in FIQ-R.1 (16.82 ± 6.86 vs. 20.66 ± 4.71, p = 0.030), FIQ-R.3 (35.20 ± 89.02 vs. 40.33 ± 5.60, p = 0.033), and FIQ-R total score (63.87 ± 19.12 vs. 75.94 ± 12.25, p = 0.017) among normal-weight and overweight FMS were observed. Linear analysis regression revealed significant associations between FIQ-R.2 (β(95% CI)= 0.336, (0.027, 0.645), p = 0.034), FIQ-R.3 (β(95% CI)= 0.235, (0.017, 0.453), p = 0.035), and FIQ-R total score (β(95% CI)= 0.110, (0.010, 0.209), p = 0.032) and BMI in FMS women after adjusting for age and menopause status. Associations between sleep latency and fat mass percentage in FMS women (β(95% CI)= 1.910, (0.078, 3.742), p = 0.041) and sleep quality and visceral fat in healthy women (β(95% CI)= 2.614, (2.192, 3.036), p = 0.008) adjusted for covariates were also reported. The higher BMI values are associated with poor FIQ-R scores and overweight and obese women with FMS have higher symptom severity. The promotion of an optimal BMI might contribute to ameliorate some of the FMS symptoms.