3532: Fibromyalgia - Best Methods to Reduce Inflammation in the Body

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[00:00:29] Hey friends, Olivia from OLLI. Between new routines and the ultimate group project known as parenting, you need science-backed solutions that work with your life. That's where OLLI comes in. Start your mornings off right with Maltese made to support nutrition and immune health. Choose from our lineup of gut-supporting probiotics, and we've got occasional sleep support to help the whole fam chase their big dreams. Head back to class with the number one gummy supplement brand. Stock up on OLLI.com today. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, curate, or treat, or treat.

[00:01:00] It's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, and I'm Dr. Neal Malik. Hey there, happy Friday, and welcome to another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, where I answer your health questions related to fitness, diet and nutrition, and lots more. You send in the questions, and I answer them for you. Now, if you're in the U.S. and send in a relevant question, we'll visit the post office and personally mail you a physical copy of the Optimal Living Daily Workbook, as long as we have copies left.

[00:01:28] If you're outside the U.S., we'll email you a digital copy. Now, I'll tell you how to send in a question at the end, but for now, let's jump right in and hear today's question as we optimize your life. Today's question came via email. Kimberly writes, What's the best way to deal with fibromyalgia when medication doesn't seem to help? Is there a specific diet you'd recommend?

[00:01:53] I'm a 55-year-old female who walks with a cane because of balance issues and neuropathy in my feet. Walking is my main form of exercise, with a new strength training routine I recently started. I've been on a vegan diet for two and a half years, and I'm allergic to dairy, but I'm not sure I'm getting enough nutrients. Thank you so much for taking the time to send in your question, Kimberly, and I'm sorry to hear about this diagnosis. Let's start at the beginning and talk about what fibromyalgia is.

[00:02:20] Now, if you're listening to this and want to skip this particular episode because you're thinking, I don't have fibromyalgia, I don't know anyone who has fibromyalgia, this is not going to be helpful to me. I promise, listen on. What we're learning is most of us, as we get older, experience some form of inflammation. And what I'm about to discuss has to deal with how to reduce inflammation in the body. So even if you don't have a fibromyalgia diagnosis,

[00:02:47] I promise, what I'm about to share is going to be helpful. So let's begin by talking about, again, what fibromyalgia actually is. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that basically affects every system throughout the body. It's actually difficult to diagnose because the most common symptom is pain. Pain throughout the body. Many with fibromyalgia describe it as a dull ache that never seems to go away.

[00:03:14] And other commonly reported symptoms would be issues with sleep, fatigue, mental fog, headaches, and mood swings. There's no specific blood test to diagnose fibromyalgia. Instead, doctors will ask about the person's pain history and then check various parts of the body to see if the person is experiencing pain in those areas. So the major goal of managing fibromyalgia is to reduce pain. And this can involve different approaches.

[00:03:43] Painkillers, of course, would be one way. But managing pain through lifestyle, like through diet and exercise, can help. According to the American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association, the goal of any diet for those with this condition is to reduce the body's level of inflammation. This is because more inflammation throughout the body usually increases pain symptoms. One of the ways to reduce inflammation through diet is to reduce daily calorie intake.

[00:04:10] This can be tricky because decreasing calories may lead to weight loss. And if you're already at a healthy body weight, then decreasing calorie intakes may lead to unnecessary weight loss. But for those that may benefit, consuming fewer daily calories can help reduce fibromyalgia symptoms. This is because it's believed that with weight loss, particularly the loss of body fat, it will reduce inflammation throughout the body. This is because fat cells release pro-inflammatory chemicals.

[00:04:40] So by reducing body fat, it may lead to less inflammation because there'll be less secretion of these inflammatory chemicals. It's also helpful to avoid foods that increase inflammation or even those that irritate the gut. For those with fibromyalgia, one of the keys is to avoid foods that contain glutamate, aspartate, or cysteine. These are types of proteins or amino acids

[00:05:05] and are found naturally in many of the commonly consumed foods we eat on a daily basis. But they're also added to processed foods. Now when they're found naturally in protein-rich foods, like let's say chicken or turkey, these proteins tend not to increase symptoms. But glutamate, aspartate, and cysteine are often added to foods during processing as flavor enhancers. And what ends up happening is these flavor enhancers activate the nerves in the gut,

[00:05:34] which can increase pain and even contribute to irritable bowel-like symptoms. And there are some processed foods that tend to have higher levels of glutamate, aspartate, or cysteine. So it may be worthwhile to carefully read the ingredients list before buying them. Foods that usually have higher levels of glutamate, aspartate, and cysteine include frozen foods, chips, and canned soups. Fast foods tend to also have higher quantities of these additives, but obviously seeing the ingredients list is going to be a challenge.

[00:06:04] So my best advice would be after consuming any food, but especially fast foods or processed foods, it's a good idea to monitor your symptoms. If you're experiencing more pain after eating certain foods, it's probably best to avoid those or decrease the portions of that food next time. Now, Kimberly, you mentioned you're following a vegan diet. A vegan diet has been shown to help manage inflammation and reduce pain in those with fibromyalgia.

[00:06:31] In fact, vegetarian, vegan, and Mediterranean-type diets seem to be the most beneficial. These diets tend to be high in whole, minimally processed grains, beans, lentils, green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, olive oil, and omega-3 fatty acids, especially when we're talking about the Mediterranean-style diet. You mentioned that you're concerned about missing out on important nutrients by following a vegan diet. Taking some dietary supplements can be helpful,

[00:07:00] not just to help make sure you're getting all the necessary nutrients, but also to help reduce fibromyalgia symptoms. Here are some that have been found to be helpful. Magnesium. Since magnesium may help with muscle functioning, taking a magnesium supplement may reduce muscle pain. But too much magnesium can lead to uncomfortable gastrointestinal symptoms, so your rheumatologist or a dietician can help you decide how much to take. Next, omega-3 fatty acids.

[00:07:29] Taking 500 mg of EPA and 500 mg of DHA each day can help reduce pain symptoms. EPA and DHA are specific types of omega-3 fatty acids, and they have been shown to help reduce inflammation throughout the body, which will in turn, hopefully, reduce pain symptoms. Next, melatonin. Because sleep issues are common among those with fibromyalgia, supplementing with melatonin may improve sleep.

[00:07:57] But here again, knowing the right dose is very important. Vitamin D. For those with low levels of vitamin D, taking a vitamin D supplement to get blood levels within normal ranges can help. But if your vitamin D levels are already within the normal range, taking extra vitamin D doesn't seem to help. And lastly, Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10. CoQ10 has been found to relieve general symptoms for those with fibromyalgia. And again, as I mentioned,

[00:08:27] talk to your rheumatologist or a dietician about whether taking any of these supplements are right for you and finding the right dose. And as always, make sure you're buying a high-quality supplement. An easy way to check is to look for one or more of these seals on a product's packaging. NSF, USP, or Consumer Lab. Now, what about exercise? As you mentioned, Kimberly, exercise is important. Studies have shown that lower-intensity aerobic exercise can reduce pain.

[00:08:56] But this is highly individual. So you have to find those exercises that tend not to make symptoms worse. So if walking helps, do that. If swimming helps, do that. Resistance training and Tai Chi have also been shown to be helpful. But again, for those with fibromyalgia, this is a highly personalized thing. The key is to be cautious, try not to overdo it, and try not to progress too quickly.

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[00:10:25] This is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. Hey friends, Olivia from OLLI. Between new routines and the ultimate group project known as parenting, you need science-backed solutions that work with your life. That's where OLLI comes in. Start your mornings off right with Maltese made to support nutrition and immune health. Choose from our lineup of gut-supporting probiotics. And we've got occasional sleep support to help the whole fam chase their big dreams. Head back to class with the number one gummy supplement brand. Stock up on OLLI.com today.

[00:10:53] These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. And I wish you all the best, Kimberly. And thank you again for taking the time to send in your question. Now, if you want to send in a question to be answered right here on the show and get a copy of the Optimal Living Daily Workbook, just email a question by sending it to health at oldpodcast.com. Or if you want to hear your own voice on the podcast,

[00:11:20] come by oldpodcast.com slash ask. Right on that page, you can record your questions straight from your computer's microphone. It's really easy. You can even play back your message and delete it and do retakes before sending it in. Or you can do it the old-fashioned way and call in your question. The number is 161-ILOVE-OHD. That's 1-614-568-3643. Thank you so much for doing that.

[00:11:49] Answering your questions is my favorite part of the show. But that'll do it for another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily. Thank you so much for listening every day and all the way through. I hope you're having a great start to your weekend. And I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.