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6 Foods That Could Be Tied to Fibromyalgia Pain: they are not what you expect

Foods That Could Be Tied to Fibromyalgia Pain


We did a survey at FIBRO CONNECT and found that over 30 people had food triggers that made their fibromyalgia symptoms worse. These included gluten, dairy, coffee, sugar and chocolate.

The standard treatment for fibromyalgia usually doesn’t involve dietary changes, yet some patients have found that certain types of food exacerbate their sensitivity to pain or pain symptoms.


We’ve consulted with experts to find the foods that could possibly trigger fibromyalgia pain even if science has yet to distinguish a concrete connection between the two.


Potato Chips  Grabbing for that bag of potato chips, will likely contain one key ingredient that could be linked to pain—glutamate. 

The additive is often used as a harmless flavor enhancer that you’ll commonly find in its salt form, monosodium glutamate (MSG). 
“Some patients notice that their symptoms, specifically musculoskeletal pain, increase when they’re consuming foods that have a lot of MSG,” says Tarah Venn, a registered dietician with the Stanford Pain Management Center. “Glutamate and pain have been linked in studies, which have reported higher concentrations of glutamate in some fibromyalgia patients compared to healthy controls.” 

This may be because glutamate acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter that sends messages within the brain and nervous system. If your pain is sensitive to glutamate consumption, always check the product labels at the grocery store for words like monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and yeast extract. 


6 Foods That Could Be Tied to Fibromyalgia Pain

Mushrooms

Despite its incredible nutritional value, the edible fungus may trigger pain in fibromyalgia patients because it’s rich in the naturally-occurring form of glutamate. In just a 100-gram serving, 180 milligrams of glutamate are packed into a mushroom, according to the Glutamate Association. Shitake and enokitake mushrooms are the richest in glutamate. 

Other healthy favorites like tomatoes, grapes, and green peas are also good sources of glutamate. But before you entirely cut any foods, especially fruits and veggies, out of your diet, talk to a healthcare professional who will ensure you aren’t missing out on key nutrients. 


Aged cheeses

Sorry cheeseheads, but cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, and Roquefort cheese all contain glutamate. In fact, one 100-gram serving of Parmesan cheese packs a whopping 1,600 milligrams of glutamate. But keep in mind that glutamate may not be your issue, dairy could be an irritant as well, at least anecdotally.

Fried chicken

All of that butter, saturated fat, and vegetable oil may give a plate of fried chicken the savory flavor your taste buds crave, but it could wreak havoc on your body and cause inflammation. 

Even though fibromyalgia is not necessarily categorized as an inflammatory condition, inflammation can still cause pain-like symptoms, which is why it’s best to avoid any type of fried foods as much as possible.

Flavoured yoghurt

You may think that your strawberry yogurt is a healthy start to your day, but in reality, it’s packed with loads of sugar from the syrups used for the flavoring. And some low-calorie yogurts even contain artificial sweeteners like aspartame.
Even though there’s no evidence stating that sugar makes fibromyalgia pain worse, some patients have found that cutting out refined sugars improved their fibromyalgia symptoms.

Are these the foods you expected to see listed when you read the title 6 Foods That Could Be Tied to Fibromyalgia Pain? 

Do these foods aggravate your fibro pain? I would love to hear from you... leave a comment please.

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6 Foods That Could Be Tied to Fibromyalgia Pain: they are not what you expect

23 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:01 AM

    Your blog is very helpful for us, thanks for shared that with us. today Pain is a common issue, it can be to anyone at any age. Here Back And Spine Specialist Near Me are available to give you best pain treatment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jennifer, I'm glad you found the article helpful. Do you get many patients with Fibromyalgia?

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    2. Anonymous8:39 AM

      I am 68 years old and have had "issues" with food most of my life. It rules. Now I know why I've steadily tried to fix "feelings" with food and cannot lose weight.Thanks! I have recently been diagnosed with diabetes. Bipolar depression also plagues me. Not knowing whether my sugar is up or down. does not merit sticking my finger to find out where brain fog is coming from. You have been a great help to me.

      Delete
    3. glad to be of help. Food and digeation is a complex issue and seems to be linked to fibromyalgia and many other chronic illnesses.
      best wishes

      Delete
  2. I am allergic to tomatoes and react to them with pain. I have also noticed widespread pain with onions.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I react with pain and asthma to tomatoes. Onions make me hurt all over. Eggplant makes my tongue tingle. For these reasons my doctors at The Mayo Clinic recommended I avoid all Nightshades.

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    2. Yes cooked tomatoes are not good for me but i can tolerate some fresh. Yes unknown you are describing nightshades but if your avoidance does not help try avoiding high salicylates as this is what you are descibing.

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  3. Anonymous8:28 AM

    I am noticing caffeine can make my pain worse.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! Same with me, also triggers migraines. And when I combine cravings with trigger foods like coffee and cheese I will always get a migraine.

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  4. Replies
    1. Angela, that is the same with me - alcohol really upsets my liver and the next day i have joint pain as well. From what I understand all food allergies are to do with the liver so it makes sense we would not be able to tolerate alcohol.

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  5. Joanna10:16 AM

    Mushrooms definitely have an effect with pain and IBS associated with Fibromyalgia. Any soy products also cause issues for me .

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is interesting, also long before diagnosis of Fibro (and I suppose some extent Endometriosis as well) foods triggered bizarre pains in me; particularly as a child growing up.
    Chips and fatty foods yes, but did not expect to see mushrooms on there.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had endometriosis as well....and have Fibro . and my daughter has Fibro. as well and also has endometriosis....

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    2. Anonymous6:01 PM

      I also suffered badly with pms, endometriosis. Now going on at least 7 years of menopause. Hot flashes and mood swings are still a issue for me. With fibromyalgia life sucks even more. I didn't know about your diet being so important when you suffer with fibromyalgia, now I do, I will make some changes. Thank you


      Christine

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  7. Anonymous5:08 AM

    I've completely changed my diet and my pain has diminished greatly. No processed sugar. No gluten since I tested with Celiac. Peanut butter is a trigger also. All organic and non processed food. And cannabis helps me cut back on pain meds.

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  8. Debra Lane8:58 PM

    Thankyou. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 30 years ago this Dec. 2022. For me it is anything derived from GMO Corn eaten/ingested internally as well as used externally on my body (detergents, makeup, lotions, hair products, deodorant's etc,) AND Soy AND MSG (which is also on the list of: derived from GMO corn).But I do NOT react to mushrooms, onions, tomatoes or any other foods listed above. I also react to weather fronts. I appreciate all that share.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:23 AM

      I don't have problems with the foods listed above except maybe potato chips and that is only if I eat them after 6 pm. And even then I eat those with strict moderation and very infrequently.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous7:48 AM

    I've been avoiding sugar, chocolate and mushrooms for years plus many quite random ingredients. Fibro definitely affects digestive system but good advice is lacking. When will it get beyond the 'eat more fibre' point? Disastrous!

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  10. Anonymous10:08 AM

    I was diagnosed 2 year's ago with Fibromyalgia it's been really hard. I struggle to eat food I am in so much pain when I eat so I throw up a lot. I need help

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous11:43 PM

    I started to eat a keto diet and my pain was noticeably less, and my energy more. It was great. Unfortunately I hit hard times with money and now can’t afford to eat all the good fresh foods I know my body and my condition needs. I feel sad because of that.

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  12. Anonymous8:02 PM

    Fibromyalgia is from the chemicals that are put into our food to make it last longer on the shelf. Just like all the other diseases that people are suffering with , this was orchestrated by our government to keep food longer and pocket the savings. We all started getting sicker as they increase the usage of the chemicals. America is the second highest percentage of pesticides and other chemicals in our food as any other country in the world. Greed.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous11:02 AM

    Since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I’ve noticed that all 6 foods mentioned cause a big increase in my pains. Especially the MSG. I totally avoid eating any Chinese food (Soy), processed food, food dyes, and artificial anything. Xanthagum. It’s in all thickening processed foods like soup & salad dressing.

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Thanks for your input