You understand the importance of eating a varied diet to obtain the recommended daily value of vitamins and minerals, but you may not realize that sometimes, vitamin and nutrition deficiencies can be confused with other diseases and disorders. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control, many cases of fibromyalgia are actually caused by or confused with vitamin D deficiency.
Fibromyalgia Overview
Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that is characterized by pain in the muscles and connective tissue, tender spots all over the body and a general feeling of fatigue. While experts are still unsure of what exactly causes fibromyalgia, it is believed to primarily be a disorder of pain processing -- people with fibromyalgia may feel the sensation of pain more acutely than others. Fibromyalgia is more common in women than in men, and while it is a chronic condition it is not life-threatening or degenerative, so many people successfully manage it and life a normal life. Many people manage fibromyalgia with supplements, pain relieving medications and drugs that address their specific symptoms.
Magnesium, Malic Acid and Fibromyalgia
A study published in the May 1995 issue of the "Journal of Rheumatology" researched the use of a special proprietary tablet that contained a mixture of malic acid and magnesium in treating fibromyalgia. Researchers found that a dosage of six tablets containing 200 mg of malic acid and 50 mg of magnesium was beneficial in reducing pain and tenderness when it was used for at least two months. While further study is still needed, you can talk with your doctor about whether trying a regimen of malic acid and magnesium could be helpful for you.
Vitamin D and Fibromyalgia
Because of a known association between vitamin D deficiency and fibromyalgia diagnosis, a group of researchers opted to study the levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream of a group of women diagnosed with fibromyalgia. In a study published in the "Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association" in November 2010, they discussed the results of their research. In what the researchers themselves described as an "alarming" finding, a full 80 percent of the women had a vitamin D deficiency, and the remaining women all had a vitamin D insufficiency. While a larger population-based study is recommended, such strong results definitely warrant more research. If you have fibromyalgia, you should speak with your physician about being screened for a vitamin D deficiency.
Fibromyalgia and Iron
Iron deficiency is associated with disorders like anemia, but because iron plays a role in how neurotransmitters in our brain transfer information, research has sought to find if there is a connection between iron levels and fibromyalgia symptoms. In a study published in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in March 2010, researchers found that women who had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia had a lower level of iron in their bloodstream than women who had not. Because of that result, the researchers suggested that perhaps iron's role in our brain's production and usage of chemicals like seratonin and dopamine could play a part in developing fibromyalgia. More research is needed, but you may wish to speak with your physician about evaluating your iron levels.
References
- Centers for Disease Control: Vitamin D Expert Panel Meeting; October 2001
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Fibromyalgia
- "Journal of Rheumatology"; May 1995; Treatment of Fibromyalgia Syndrome With Super Malic: A Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo Controlled, Crossover Pilot Study; IJ Russell et. al.; May 1995
- "Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association"; Vitamin D Deficiency in Fibromyalgia; SA Bhatty et. al.; November 2010
- "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Association Between Serum Ferritin Level and Fibromyalgia Syndrome; O. Ortancil et. al.; March 2010
