Fibromyalgia and Vitamins-what’s the connection?

Fibromyagia is a debilitating disease that affects millions of Americans (mostly women). Research has explored a lot of different possibilities but fibromyalgia remains a poorly understood disorder with no known single cause.

Fibromyalgia can be more thought of as a global disease with likely many different factors coming together to create the painful symptoms. Just chasing each symptom with a different pilling hoping for minimal side effects is not a good long-term option. Considering nutritional or weight gain aspects in fibromyalgia is important and is an often overlooked aspect to our health. Most of us eat way too much food and of the wrong type. Sugar intake is very excessive as is a diet based on cheeseburgers and hotdogs. Kale, brussel sprouts, and chard seem to be alien to the American dinner table experience.

Why are antioxidants important? Antioxidants help to counter oxidative stress, which comes from breaking down food and general living. The antioxidants protect cell walls from damage. Vitamins such as C and E are considered antioxidants and have been shown to be important to an overall healthy diet. Disease risk for heart disease and cataracts can be affected by low levels of vitamins C and E in the diet.

Researchers have also looked at antioxidants in the blood of patients with fibromyalgia. The scientists found that they are significantly depleted when compared to normal subjects. Whether this is due to greater metabolic activity and more oxidative stress, or poor nutrient intake (bad diet), or both, is not known.

But since it is now known that there are low levels of these antioxidants, we can do something about it. Ideally, eating lots of raw fruits and vegetables are your greatest sources for antioxidants. Most of us do not eat enough servings of these each day, so it is also important to supplement with vitamins and minerals. If you have fibromyalgia, you may need to both supplement with vitamins, and change your diet to more of a plant-based approach. The vegan type of diet has been shown to decrease fibromyalgia symptoms in a scientific study.

Besides aerobic exercise and weight-training, a healthy plant-based diet with supplementation seems to be an additional important factor, to an overall holistic approach to fibromyalgia. Your chiropractor can help guide you to sound nutritional and exercise choices. By integrating exercise and proper nutrition with structural chiropractic, you are taking a truly natural and comprehensive approach to regaining your health.