Fibromyalgia pain reduced by diet says new research

Many symptoms of fibromyalgia improve with a hypocaloric diet, a raw vegetarian diet or a low FODMAPs diet, according to a review of the evidence in the Annals of Medicine.

Nutritional therapy is controversial when it comes to fibromyalgia, so a team of experts set out to review the evidence. They found seven relevant clinical trials with a focus on the following diets: gluten free; raw vegetarian; low fermentable oligo-, di- and monossacharides, alcohols and polyols (FODMAPs); hypocaloric; and monosodium glutamate- and aspartame-free.

People in five out of the seven studies reported less pain and better function after following the diet.

Some studies also showed improvements in levels of fatigue, sleep quality, depression and anxiety, quality of life, gastrointestinal symptoms and inflammatory biomarkers. But the experts point out that the studies have poor statistical quality and there is a need for better quality research in the area.

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