Fibromyalgia is a mysterious chronic condition with no clear cause or cure. However, some scientists have proposed oxidative stress damage, caused by an excess of free radicals in the body, as a potential cause of the disorder. A diet high in antioxidants might help fibromyalgia sufferers by reducing free radicals. The use of antioxidants in a fibromyalgia diet remains under investigation, but incorporating foods with antioxidant activity into your diet can enhance your general health.
Fibromyalgia
Individuals with fibromyalgia develop fatigue, tender spots on the body and muscle soreness, but the underlying cause of the disorder remains a mystery. Women are more prone to the disorder than men, and most people who have fibromyalgia experience periods of remission alternating with times when symptoms flare up. Fibromyalgia does not impact life expectancy, but it does lower the quality of life for sufferers.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are compounds that donate an electron to other molecules. By doing so, they neutralize free radicals, compounds that rampage through the body, causing damage in their search to find an electron to replace the one they are missing. Free radicals are produced as a natural byproduct when oxygen is processed by the body. Many whole foods contain a wide range of antioxidants that work with each other to provide protection against disease. Some studies, such as a 2005 study in the journal "Rheumatology International," have indicated a potential link between free-radical damage and fibromyalgia, although this link remains controversial.
How to Take Antioxidants
Antioxidants can be consumed through food sources or taken in a multivitamin. Fruits and vegetables are usually the best source of antioxidants since they contain not only the vitamins and minerals you need but also potent phytochemicals that aren't available in supplement form, such as flavonoids. Antioxidant foods include berries, spinach, tomatoes and bell peppers. If you take a multivitamin, look for one with both antioxidant vitamins and trace minerals. Your multivitamin should include selenium, zinc, magnesium, calcium, all of the B vitamins and vitamins A, C, D and E.
Considerations
Because the precise cause of fibromyalgia and the full effect of antioxidants on the condition remain unknown, antioxidant supplementation is not routinely advised as a treatment for the disorder. However, foods that are high in antioxidants tend to be extremely healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, so including these as a major component of your diet does no harm and may bolster overall health.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Fibromyalgia; Feb. 4, 2010
- "Rheumatology International"; Fibromyalgia and Nutrition, What Do We Know?; L.I. Arranz, et al.; September 2010
- Medline Plus; Antioxidants; March 18, 2011
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Fibromyalgia; July 2009
- "Rheumatology International"; Free Radicals and Antioxidants in Primary Fibromyalgia: An Oxidative Stress Disorder?; S. Bagis, et al.; April 2005
