Fibromyalgia and Vegan Diet
June 27, 2008 by Dr. Nicole Sundene
Filed under Anti-inflammatory, Fibromyalgia, Research, Vegetarian
By Dr. Nicole Sundene
“Can the Kitchen Table Cure Fibromyalgia?”
When implementing the vegan diet it just might!
Research listed below shows dramatic and promising improvement for those with fibromyalgia by simply adopting a whole foods vegan diet that emphasizes increased fruits and vegetables and the elimination of all animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs.
From my clinical experience, eating an Anti-inflammatory diet is extremely beneficial for those with chronic pain. Vegan diets are probably beneficial because they are free of the evil kitchen table culprit “arachidonic acid” found in animal fats that most traditional prescription and over the counter pharmaceutical agents work to block.
To spare you all the biochemistry blah blah blah, let’s just say that arachidonic acid becomes inflammation. By implementing an anti-inflammatory eating plan or vegan diet, those challenged by the chronic debilitating pains of fibromyalgia just might experience a dramatic increase in pain relief, as well as less overall need for using medications.
Remember that less medicines, means less side effects. Less side effects means less medicine needed to address side effects of medications. Don’t get caught up in the snowball down spiraling effect of chronic prescription drug use if you can achieve similar if not better results with diet.
The kitchen table is truly the heart of medicine. If you are chronically ill, please consider giving yourself the gift of a healthy whole foods diet!
Going vegan may just be the answer to this painful condition. At the very least do your best to eliminate McInflammation. Be sure to always check with your physician before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle.
Other researched therapeutics that may be helpful for fibromyalgia:
- Eliminate MSG, aspartame, and other “Kitchen Table Villains”.
- Allergy Elimination Diet.
- Reduce stress.
- Gentle exercise, especially swimming.
- Fish Oil
- Magnesium malate and malic acid.
Research on Vegan Diet and Fibromyalgia:
- PMID: 11093597; Vegan diet alleviates fibromyalgia symptoms.Scand J Rheumatol. 2000;29(5):308-13.
- PMID: 11602026; Fibromyalgia syndrome improved using a mostly raw vegetarian diet: an observational study.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2001;1(1):7. Epub 2001 Sep 26.
- PMID: 11508070; Vegetarian diet in the treatment of fibromyalgia.Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull. 2000 Aug;26(2):41-7.
- PMID: 11093597; Vegan diet alleviates fibromyalgia symptoms.Scand J Rheumatol. 2000;29(5):308-13.
- PMID: 11408989; Relief of fibromyalgia symptoms following discontinuation of dietary excitotoxins.Ann Pharmacother. 2001 Jun;35(6):702-6.
- PMID: 1802495; Diet and disease symptoms in rheumatic diseases–results of a questionnaire based survey.Clin Rheumatol. 1991 Dec;10(4):401-7.
- PMID: 2049586; Primary fibromyalgia and the irritable bowel syndrome: different expressions of a common pathogenetic process.Br J Rheumatol. 1991 Jun;30(3):220-2.
- PMID: 11156742; Antioxidants in vegan diet and rheumatic disorders.Toxicology. 2000 Nov 30;155(1-3):45-53.
Thanks for stopping by my kitchen table!
~Dr. Nicole
Naturopathic Physician
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Excellent post. I am a huge advocate of using healthy food for whatever ails you. In this case, there is data to back it up–a good thing! Antiinflamatory diets, as well as diets loaded with vegetable protein, are the way to go, in my book. Great post, thanks for sharing.
Here is a link to a post about vegeatable protein I just wrote today:
livelife365.blogspot.com
Seems like we were on the same wave length.
peace,
Mike
livelife365
Hi Dr. Nicole,
Great article.
Healthy vegan whole foods are definitely awesome.
It really is amazing that simple changes in your diet can heal what “modern medicine” cannot.
You have a wonderful blog.
Thank you for all of the fantastic information.
Peace.
Hi Mike! Thanks for leaving that great list of vegetarian sources of protein, that should be helpful for anyone trying to improve their health with this eating plan.
Hi Alexander- thanks for stopping by. The healing power of nature never ceases to amaze me, and I am happy that we have research to back a lot of it up now. Thanks for stopping by!
Great website! Loved that you back up your post with abstracts. I’ll be linking to this post and checking back soon.
Thanks,
Jen @
http://happyfibrofamily.today.com
Thanks Jen! Let me know if there are any questions you need help answering with your website. Would be happy to help. I always try to include my research references for my doctor friends, and those that doubt that natural medicine is efficacious…how can you argue a diet that comes with eight references…I’m sure there are even more out there! Plus it is just a DIET, it is not like I am recommending something totally crazy. Removing arachidonic acid from the diet is just basic biochemistry for pain management.
Let Food Be Your Medicine is attributed to Hippocrates. Doc Nicole takes it to heart as she demonstrates that most, if not all the ills of modern living are due to our bad diets. Always great advice from her.