Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is a chronic pain condition that causes aches and discomfort throughout the body. It also causes fatigue, sleep disruption, and damage to mood and memory. Research shows changing to a fibromyalgia diet may dramatically improve symptoms.
Researchers suggest treatment for fibromyalgia should include a multidisciplinary approach combining pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. One very promising non-pharmacological option, they believe, is a fibromyalgia diet. This includes adding certain nutrient-rich foods (i.e., fish and green, leafy veggies) and subtracting those that may affect the central nervous system (i.e., MSG and soy sauce).
What Foods Trigger Fibromyalgia Pain? Certain foods may do more harm to the fibromyalgic body than good. To feel better, it may be necessary to cut them out. As stated by the Italian researchers mentioned above, “it seems reasonable to eliminate some foods from the diet of FM patients, for example excitotoxins.” These excitotoxins, a group of neurotransmitters, can cause injury or death to brain and nerve cells if consumed in high enough quantities. Examples include glutamate (i.e., MSG) and aspartame (i.e., the sweetener of the same name).
Foods which contain glutamate can enhance pain in those who suffer from fibromyalgia, says Kathleen Holton, PhD, MPH, a Nutritional Neuroscientist, Assistant Professor in Health Studies, and member of the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience at American University. “This includes processed foods with food additives, as well as some naturally occurring sources of free glutamate like soy sauce, fish sauces, and aged cheeses such as parmesan,” she says.
Another fibromyalgia diet no-no is gelatin. Since some gelatin-containing medications can’t be avoided, Holton recommends opening the gelatin capsule and mixing the medicine with a food like apple sauce instead.
What Foods Should You Avoid on a Fibromyalgia Diet? Other foods that may increase symptoms include processed foods that contain a long list of ingredients. “A good rule of thumb is that ingredient labels should be short, easy to read, and should only contain things you can add to a food,” says Holton. “For example, can you add ‘natural flavor’ to a food? Another example would be yeast. You can easily add yeast to a bread recipe but wouldn’t use ‘autolyzed yeast extract.’ Additives like ‘monosodium glutamate’ and all ‘hydrolyzed proteins’ should also be avoided.”
Multiple studies have found a link between eating gluten and increased fibromyalgia symptoms. This non-celiac gluten sensitivity may be an underlying cause of fibromyalgia, so it’s best to cut it out while on a fibromyalgia diet.
What Foods are Good for Fibromyalgia? Now for the good news. You can still enjoy yummy things while keeping fibromyalgia symptoms at bay. The most important foods to eat on a fibromyalgia diet are nutrient-packed whole foods, says Holton. “Certain nutrients can protect against the over excitation caused by glutamate additives,” she explains. Here are a few nutrients to increase:
1. Omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., from fish, cod liver oil, walnuts, canola oil, and flax seeds)
2. Magnesium (e.g., from nuts, seeds, green, leafy vegetables, fish, and whole grains)
3. Zinc (e.g., from meat, shellfish, nuts, and seeds)
4. Antioxidants (e.g., from lemons, garlic, onions, peppers, various fruits, and greens)
Basically, the ideal fibromyalgia diet, according to Holton, “would be something like the Mediterranean Diet, where a person is consuming fish, a little meat, lots of vegetables and fruit, and including green leafy vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds.”
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