by Sandra Piddock

Created on: September 04, 2010

Fibromyalgia is a rheumatic condition, characterised by widespread joint and muscle pain, chronic fatgue, and various other health problems. It's very common, but is often not treated with the same sense of urgency as other arthritis-related conditions. It's mainly women who suffer from fibromyalgia, and there's no known specific cause.

Because fibromyalgia is not a single illness, it's difficult to find a treatment that helps everyone - each sufferer responds differently to different treatments. Experts now believe that diet has an impact on fibromyalgia, but because the condition manifests in different ways in individuals, it's a complex equation.

A healthy, balanced diet which contains all the vitamins and nutrients your body requires is important for health, but it is even more vital for people suffering from chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia. Eat plenty of foods rich in antioxidants to boost your immune system and help you deal with the effects of your fibromyalgia symtoms.

A balanced diet helps the body to fight disease and inflammation, and maintaining a healthy weight is advisable for anyone who has a condition which affects the joints. If you're overweight or obese, there will be extra strain on the affected joints, and mobility could be compromised. Fibromyalgia sufferers often experience hormonal imbalances which can affect the metabolism and lead to weight gain, so it's important to eat a healthy, low fat diet, with plenty of fibre and complex carbohydrates to combat the food cravings that can be associated with the condition.

Some medical experts believe that fibromyalgia patients should avoid food additives such as monosodium glutamate and aspartame. This is because these chemicals can have an adverse effect on the part of the nervous system that sends pain messages to the brain. As many fibromyalgia sufferers have a relatively low pain threshold, these additives may play a part in increasing the pain of the condition.

Refined carbohydrates such as cakes and sugary foods and drinks can cause surges in blood sugar levels, which are followed by rapid drops. This can exacerbate fatigue, which is one of the most distressing symptoms of fibromyalgia. A diet containing wholegrains and complex carbohydrates will even out blood sugar levels and may alleviate fatigue, as well as being generally healthier than a diet which includes a lot of processed foods and simple carbohydrates.

While there is no specific 'Fibromyalgia diet,' and it is not fully understood how diet affects the condition, eating well and healthily has been shown to alleviate some of the symptoms of this distressing condition.

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