Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition of widespread muscle and joint pain and fatigue. Symptoms include morning stiffness, sleep problems, headaches, numbness in hands and feet, depression and anxiety, according to the Mayo Clinic. Women are affected much more frequently than men. Because of the diffuse nature of the symptoms and their overlap with those of arthritis and autoimmune conditions, fibromyalgia is notoriously challenging to diagnose. Some forms of vitamin supplementation therapy are helpful at managing symptoms.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is present in cell membranes and functions to stabilize them and prevent damage. Oxidative stress increases with age and also with exercise. A study on aging rats in the journal "Gerontology" found that supplementation with vitamin E reduces oxidative effects of exercise and increases work capacity of muscles. The researchers measured levels of several molecules known to cause oxidative damage, including hydrogen peroxide, glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde as indicators for cellular oxidative stress in the rats and found levels of these substances, in the rats given vitamin E, to be decreased in comparison to control animals not given vitamin E. By contrast, levels of protective molecules, such as the antioxidants superoxide dismutase and catalase, increased in the supplemented animals. Ensuring sufficient levels of vitamin E through diet and supplementation may help fibromyalgia patients reduce the severity of their symptoms.
Iron
A connection between iron levels and the levels of brain neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine was observed in a 2010 "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" study. The study measured iron levels in the blood of human fibromyalgia patients and a group of control subjects without fibromyalgia. The researchers concluded that a level less than 50 ng/ml caused a 6.5-fold increased risk for fibromyalgia syndrome. Iron is a necessary nutrient in the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, which are involved in the processing of pain messages in the brain, leading the researchers to suggest that iron status may play a role in the development of fibromyalgia.
Coenzyme Q10
Energy for muscle function is produced in a part of the cell called the mitochondria, and dysfunction within the mitochondria has been linked to fibromyalgia, according to a 2010 "Arthritis Research and Therapy" study. The study measured levels of oxidation within the mitochondria of cells as indicators of oxidative stress in 20 fibromyalgia patients and 10 healthy controls. The researchers found reduced levels of coenzyme Q10 -- an important antioxidant in the mitochondria -- along with increased levels of oxidation occurring within the mitochondria of fibromyalgia patients. Although coenzyme Q10 is not an essential nutrient, in some cases additional supplementation may benefit fibromyalgia symptoms by providing added antioxidant protection.
References
- PubMed: Gerontology: Vitamin E and C supplementation reduces oxidative stress, improves antioxidant enzymes and positive muscle work in chronically loaded muscles of aged rats; Ryan MJ, et al.; 2010 Aug
- PubMed: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Association between serum ferritin level and fibromyalgia syndrome. Ortancil O, Sanli A, Eryuksel R, Basaran A, Ankarali H; 2010 March
- PubMed: Arthritis Research and Therapy: Mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy activation in blood mononuclear cells of fibromyalgia patients: implications in the pathogenesis of the disease; Cordero MD, et al.; 2010
- Mayo Clinic: Fibromyalgia
