Rumored to help you shed pounds as well as boost your overall health, raw food and juicing diets consist of fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fresh-squeezed juices that haven't been exposed to high temperatures. If you suffer from fibromyalgia, this style of eating may be particularly relevant for you: Although raw diets are relatively unstudied in a clinical setting, some research has shown raw plant-based foods to reduce the pain and stiffness associated with fibromyalgia, giving uncooked cuisines the potential to improve your symptoms.
Description
Characterized by fatigue, sleep problems, mood issues, memory loss and pain in the musculoskeletal system, fibromyalgia is a chronic condition with no single identified cause, the Mayo Clinic explains. In some cases, symptoms of this disorder manifest after you experience significant physical or psychological stress such as surgery, infection or mental trauma, although fibromyalgia may also appear without a specific triggering event. You're more likely to suffer from fibromyalgia if you're female, and although symptoms can be lessened through certain drugs or lifestyle changes, no medical cure is available.
Research
Although studies looking at raw foods, juicing and fibromyalgia are limited, the existing research shows a promising connection between diet and this disease. A September 2001 study published in "BioMed Central Complementary and Alternative Medicine" by Michael S. Donaldson and associates examined the effects of a raw vegetarian diet -- including juice -- on fibromyalgia patients. After consuming an intervention diet consisting of carrot juice, barley grass juice, raw fruits, salads, seeds, nuts, and a smaller portion of tubers and grains for seven months, fibromyalgia patients reported significant improvements in flexibility, range of motion, body pain and other symptoms of their condition. Another study published in the August 2000 issue of the "Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology" had similar findings: Fibromyalgia patients fed a raw, low-sodium vegan diet for three months saw improvements in sleep quality and reductions in pain and joint stiffness.
Considerations
Although research suggests a beneficial role of raw foods and vegetable juice on fibromyalgia symptoms, the only studies currently available are short-term and have relied on only a small pool of study subjects. The long-term effects of raw diets on fibromyalgia are unknown, and more research may be necessary before uncooked diets can be recommended for fibromyalgia relief.
Warning
While raw food diets and juicing offer positive short-term effects on fibromyalgia, the strict exclusion of cooked food and animal products may result in nutrient deficiencies and chronically low energy intake over time. In an October 2005 study published in the "Journal of Nutrition," long-term consumption of raw food diets resulted in low HDL -- or "good" -- cholesterol, while also causing high homocysteine from vitamin B-12 deficiency. Another study published in the "Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism" in 1999 found that long-term raw food dieters experienced a high loss of body weight, with many study subjects qualifying as underweight, and females losing their menstrual periods. Consult your physician before attempting a raw food diet or making other major lifestyle changes to treat your fibromyalgia.
References
- Living and Raw Foods; The Living and Raw Foods FAQ
- "BioMed Central Complementary and Alternative Medicine"; Fibromyalgia Syndrome Improved Using a Mostly Raw Vegetarian Diet; Michael S. Donaldson, et al.; September 2001
- "Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology"; Vegan Diet Alleviates Fibromyalgia Symptoms; Kirsi Kaartinen, et al.; August 2000
- "The Journal of Nutrition"; Long-Term Consumption of a Raw Food Diet Is Associated with Favorable Serum LDL Cholesterol and Triglyceride but Also with Elevated Plasma Homocysteine and Low Serum HDL Cholesterol in Humans; Corinna Koebnick, et al.; October 2005
- "Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism"; Corinna Koebnick, et al.; 1999
- Mayo Clinic: Fibromyalgia
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