Diet for Fibromyalgia Patients

Fibromyalgia is a medical condition that is characterized by chronic pain and allodynia. The symptoms are not restricted to pain only, but also include debilitating fatigue, joint stiffness, and sleep disturbance. Fibromyalgia patients also report difficulty with swallowing, numbness and tingling of the extremities, cognitive dysfunction, and bowel and bladder abnormalities. The term actually means muscle and connective tissue pain. Fibromyalgia can be managed with help of proper diet and few lifestyle changes. However, there is little information on the diet and nutrition for fibromyalgia patients, there are foods that can be taken to help the patients in reducing aches and pains. Let us have a look at different foods that fibromyalgia patients should eat and avoid. People suffering from fibromyalgia should avoid fat-rich food. Instead, food that is rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals will minimize lethargy and fatigue and improve energy and alertness. Foods that should be absolutely avoided or eliminated from the diet are carbonated beverages, coffee, alcohol, and chocolates. Other food categories that are to be avoided are high-fat dairy products, white sugar, white flour, fried foods, foods with preservatives, junk food, salty foods, red meat, caffeinated teas, tobacco, colas, and saccharine. Also, fibromyalgia patients should avoid prolonged exposure to sun. Exercising helps greatly. Fibromyalgia patients are suggested to do stretching exercises and consume nearly 10 glasses of water per day. Make sure you do not consume water along with meals. It is advised to avoid carbonated beverages as it is believed to leak phosphorus from the bones. On the other hand, sugars like aspartame, along with sodas, encourage memory loss. Caffeine and aerated beverages are diuretics, which make you lose additional water from the body through urine. Fibromyalgia patients lose calcium from their bones in urine at a faster rate. Caffeine intake puts extra pressure on liver and adrenal glands. In addition to all this, fibromyalgia patients should avoid over-processed and highly-refined foods as these hamper their already-weak immune system. Junk food, caffeine, pork, processed starch foods, and foods containing additives and preservatives should not be taken at all. Fried foods and excessive salt intake aggravate pain and swelling. Actually the list of foods that should be avoided is much lengthier than the foods to be consumed. Avoiding these different types of foods and doing stretching exercises on a regular basis will be able to help in reducing fibromyalgia-induced aches and pains.Read more about Diet for Fibromyalgia.