3 Effective Fibromyalgia Supplements

• Tweet
• Pin It

I’ve been doing a lot of research around fibromyalgia lately and I came across a few great and effective supplements that you might want to try if you’re a sufferer yourself.

1. Ultraclear RENEW

Ultraclear RENEW was specifically designed by the Metagenics company to help with the altered pain signaling and neuromuscular dysfunction of fibromyalgia. It has been suggested that detoxification pathways do not operate effectively in people with fibromyalgia, so the product is designed to help promote more effective elimination and detoxification of heavy metals, which have been linked to increased pain and fatigue.

Ultraclear RENEW is high in micronutrients – vitamins and minerals and contains important phytonutrient rich botanicals, and this is what makes it a medical food. The phytonutrient rich botanicals include spent hops, pomegranate rind extract, prune skin extract, watercress whole plant extract, and decaffeinated green tea extract. Preliminary lab work has shown various positive effects for these botanicals for various conditions including fibromyalgia.

So does this medical food supplement really work?

Well yes it does.

In a small study of women with fibromyalgia given either this product or rice protein supplement, the women in the group taking the Ultraclear RENEW saw a much larger decrease in pain and stiffness, they had increased mercury and arsenic excretion, increased pain tolerance, and increased metallothionein mRNA expression (1).

Metallothionein – a protein rich in amino acid cysteine, helps to bind toxic elements such as mercury, cadmium, lead and arsenic. It also helps regulate reactive oxygen species. The hypothesis of the study was that an elimination diet combined with the Ultraclear RENEW medical food would improve metallothionein mRNA expression and improve detoxification, particularly detoxification of heavy metals.

And…it did just that!

The group taking the medical food had a 54% increased metallothionein mRNA expression, compared to just 7% in the control group.

However, it’s important to note that the use of this medical food was combined with an elimination diet, one that excluded added sugar, dairy, and gluten. This is often an important dietary recommendation for people with fibromyalgia, as the condition is often associated with multiple food allergies and sensitivities.

2. Magnesium

Good old magnesium, you really can’t beat it when it comes to helping with the symptoms of most conditions because it really is such an amazing supplement!

Magnesium is frequently lower in people with fibromyalgia. In fact, some studies suggest there could be a chronic magnesium deficiency and this is interesting because many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia are present in people with a magnesium deficiency.

Magnesium can also help reduce oxidative stress, and the increased inflammation associated with fibromyalgia.

So does magnesium really work?

Again, yes it does!

A couple of randomized trials showed that Magnesium Malate taken at dosages of 300-600 mg over an 8-week period significantly decreased tender point pain and stiffness (2-3).

3. SAM-e

This strangely named supplement has the most research to back it so far with 4 randomized trials (4-7) exploring the benefits. All of these trials have shown that the symptoms of fibromyalgia are reduced in number and severity by using this supplement.

SAM-e is a naturally occurring form of methionine. The SAM in SAM-e stands for S-adenosyl methionine and is a cofactor that acts as a methyl donor, with more than 40 metabolic reactions occurring from the SAM substrates.

This supplement is often prescribed for depression and mood disorders, but the scientific trials all show benefits in relation to fibromyalgia, and it could be due to the relationship to neurotransmitters and hypothalamic-pituitary-axis or hormones related to the brain and central nervous system.

So that’s the run down on 3 very effective supplements for fibromyalgia.

I hope you find the information useful in helpig you reduce your pain and symptoms.

Jedha

Nutritionist & Health Coach

 

References

1. LAMB ET AL. A program consisting of phytonutrient-rich medical food and an elimination diet ameleriorates fibromyalgia symptims and promoted toxic-ement detoxification in a pilot trial. alternative Therapies 2011;17(2):

2. Abraham GE & Flechas ID. Management of fibromyalgia: a rationale for the use of magnesium and malic acid. Journal of Nutritional Medicine 1992; 3: 49–59.

3. Holdcraft et al. Complementary and alternative medicine in fibromyalgia and related syndromes. Best Practice & Research Clinical Rheumatology. Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 667–683, 2003.

4. Tavoni A, Vitali C, Bombardieri S & Pasero G. Evaluation of S-adenosylmethionine in primary fibromyalgia: a double-blind crossover study. American Journal of Medicine 1987; 83: 107–110.
5. Jacobsen S, Danneskiold-Samsoe B & Andersen RB. Oral S-adenosylmethionine in primary fibromyalgia: double-blind clinical evaluation. Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology 1991; 20: 294–302.
6. Volkmann H, Norregaard J, Jacobsen S et al. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study of intravenous S-adenosyl-L-methionine in patients with fibromyalgia. Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology. 1997; 26: 206–211.
7. Tavoni A, Jeracitano G & Cirigliano G. Evaluation of S-adenosylmethionine in secondary fibromyalgia: a double-blind study. Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 1998; 16: 106–107.

Yan Ng S. Hair Calcium and Magnesium Levels in Patients With Fibromyalgia: A Case Center Study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 1999;22(9):586-592.

• Tweet
• Pin It