Fibromyalgia Syndrome Diet

A vegan diet (includes no animal products) that is also low in salt may help women with fibromyalgia. In a controlled clinical trial, women with fibromyalgia were put on a special diet consisting only of raw foods—primarily fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and cereals (such as rolled oats). The diet also contained several fermented foods, including a fermented yogurt-food made from oats, a fermented beverage made from wheat berries (called Rejuvalac), and several types of fermented vegetables, particularly cabbage. During the three-month trial, women following the therapeutic diet experienced a significant reduction in body weight, pain, morning sickness, use of painkillers, depression, and the number of sore fibromyalgia points, compared with those who continued to eat their regular diet. Due to the liberal use of nuts and seeds, this diet was not low in fat; for example, 31% of all calories came from fat. Nonetheless, the total number of calories was relatively low (less than 1,900 calories per day), which was probably responsible for the decrease in body weight.

In a preliminary report, four women with fibromyalgia experienced marked improvement or complete resolution of their symptoms within months after eliminating monosodium glutamate (MSG) or MSG plus aspartame from their diet. In each case, symptoms recurred whenever MSG was ingested.