Food in chronic pain: Friend or foe?

This 2020 review focuses on the current research being conducted regarding the dietary factors that influence multiple pain conditions. Fifi & Holton discuss the positive as well as the negative impact of diet. The study of dietary factors that affect glutamatergic neurotransmission may be considered by some since glutamate is an abundant neurotransmitter that mediates pain transmission. The authors reveal some positive findings for glutamate in cases of fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome. Due to the rise of ketogenic diets being recommended for seizure control, this type of diet is thought to hold potential in pain perception too. Inflammatory pain conditions are also discussed here, including promising dietary strategies currently being investigated. Another section reports the link between body mass index (BMI) and prevalence of chronic pain. With regards to the evidence on diet’s positive influence on pain, various herbal remedies such as curcumin, peppermint oil constituents are mentioned, along with their reported mechanisms of action. The last section is dedicated to the role of micronutrients in promoting optimal neuronal functioning. These summaries can help inform people on how food can have both positive and detrimental effects. Understanding their impacts can benefit people, especially those living with chronic pain. [NPID: pain, chronic pain, glutamatergic neurotransmission, glutamate, pain transmission, fibromyalgia, IBS, keto, ketogenic, inflammation, curcumin, peppermint, neuronal functioning]

Year: 2020

Reference: Fifi, A. C., & Holton, K. F. (2020). Food in Chronic Pain: Friend or Foe?. Nutrients, 12(8), 2473. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082473

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