| id #CCCCCC; background-color: #ffffff;" /> | | | | control group. Again, the increased blood flow |
| Fibromyalgia is a musculoskeletal pain and fatigue | | | | occurred in areas of the brain known to be |
| disorder for which the cause is widely debated. | | | | associated with pain and fibromyalgia patients |
| It’s estimated 2–4 percent of the U.S | | | | reported pain at half the level of pressure that |
| population has fibromyalgia, with 9 out of 10 | | | | caused the same feelings of pain amongst the |
| sufferers being women. Fibromyalgia is mainly | | | | healthy control group. |
| characterized by symptoms including pain, fatigue, | | | | These studies reveal there must be something |
| sleep disorders, depression, allergies and irritable | | | | wrong with the way the central nervous system |
| bowel syndrome. | | | | processes painful stimuli in people with fibromyalgia. |
| Even though fibromyalgia affects several millions of | | | | Many fibromyalgia sufferers also have other diseases |
| people each year, the cause is unclear causing much | | | | like chronic fatigue syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis |
| controversy over the disorder. Many sufferers have | | | | where several systems of the body are affected like |
| done the rounds of doctors, specialists and tests | | | | immune, nervous and muscular. Because of these |
| with nothing to show for it. To add insult to injury | | | | complexities medical management and treatment of |
| they have been dismissed with “it’s all | | | | fibromyalgia consist mainly of relief of discomfort, |
| in your head”. | | | | and improvement of quality of sleep, exercise and |
| But a new study should put to rest this controversy. | | | | emotional balance. However, the role of nutrition is |
| Fibromyalgia is a real and debilitating illness. People | | | | often overlooked. |
| who suffer from it often report pain all over their | | | | Research in the area of glycobiology which studies |
| bodies and the exhaustion is like dragging yourself | | | | the importance of a group of saccharides, called |
| through treacle. I know, because I suffered with it | | | | glyconutrients, which are essential to the health of |
| for 10 years. | | | | bodily systems is creating curiosity. Cells communicate |
| In this study researchers evaluated 20 women | | | | utilizing 8 glyconutrients in various combinations. If a |
| diagnosed with fibromyalgia and 10 healthy women | | | | person is missing any of these important |
| without the condition. | | | | glyconutrients then cells cannot communicate |
| Researchers performed brain imaging called single | | | | effectively which leads to malfunctions in our bodily |
| photon emission computed tomography, or SPECT. | | | | systems. |
| They found women with the syndrome showed | | | | Today, scientific research has shown that optimized |
| blood flow abnormalities in their brains. The | | | | nutrition has a beneficial effect on many disease |
| abnormalities were directly correlated with the | | | | conditions like fibromyalgia. In 2001 a study revealed |
| severity of disease symptoms and an increase in | | | | fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome patients |
| blood flow was found in the brain region known to | | | | who had consumed glyconutritional products for |
| discriminate pain intensity. | | | | nearly 3 years had the same functional level as |
| A similar study conducted several years ago had | | | | healthy persons for a variety of day-to-day activities. |
| nearly identical results. In this study fibromyalgia | | | | I am proof of this study. Until 2005 I suffered with |
| patients underwent a brain scan known as functional | | | | fibromyalgia for 10 years. I was unable to function |
| magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while an | | | | even with normal day-to-day activities spending the |
| instrument intermittently applied different levels of | | | | majority of my day in bed racked with pain. I started |
| pressure to their thumbnail. | | | | taking glyconutrients and within 8 weeks I was |
| All study participants received the same level of | | | | symptom free and have led a normal healthy life |
| pressure but blood flow increased much more in the | | | | ever since. |
| brains of patients with fibromyalgia than those in the | | | | |