Dietary interventions in fibromyalgia: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Rheumatology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic condition with controversial nutritional therapy.
• Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) and inflammation are key areas for intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the effects of dietary interventions on PRO and inflammation in FM patients.
• To synthesize current knowledge on the efficacy of various diets for fibromyalgia.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of clinical trials from six major electronic databases.
• Inclusion of studies on dietary interventions in diagnosed FM patients.
• Quality assessment using GRADE methodology and Cochrane Risk of Bias.

Main Results:

• Seven trials were identified, including gluten-free, raw vegetarian, low FODMAP, hypocaloric, and aspartame-free diets.
• Improvements in pain, functional status, quality of life, sleep, and mood were reported in multiple studies.
• One study indicated improvement in inflammatory biomarkers, but overall study quality was poor.

Conclusions:

• Certain dietary interventions, including hypocaloric, raw vegetarian, and low FODMAP diets, may improve symptoms like pain and quality of life in FM patients.
• Existing research is characterized by scarcity and low methodological quality, limiting definitive conclusions.
• Further high-quality, well-designed studies are essential to establish the role of dietary interventions in managing fibromyalgia.