Psychological and Sleep Effects of Tryptophan and Magnesium-Enriched Mediterranean Diet in Women with Fibromyalgia.

Alejandro Martínez-Rodríguez, Jacobo Á Rubio-Arias, Domingo J Ramos-Campo, Cristina Reche-García, Belén Leyva-Vela, Yolanda Nadal-Nicolás

Journal: International journal of environmental research and public health 2020;17(7):2227

PMID: 32224987

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Plain Language Summary

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome with unknown cause, characterised by muscle pain and physical exhaustion and is especially common in women aged 20-55 years. Anxiety, mood disturbance and psychological disorders are also often reported. Two micronutrients found in food, which may be of benefit to fibromyalgia patients are tryptophan (TRY) and magnesium (MG). This randomised control trial aimed to determine the effects of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with TRY and MG in 22 women with fibromyalgia for 16 weeks. The results showed that supplementation improved anxiety, mood, eating disorders and body image, but did not affect sleep quality. It was concluded that Mediterranean diet supplemented with TRY and MG was of benefit to anxiety, depression and reduced eating disorders but did not affect sleep quality. This study could be used by healthcare professionals to recommend a Mediterranean diet enriched with TRY and MG to improve symptoms of depression and anxiety in women with fibromyalgia.

Abstract

Anxiety, mood disturbance, eating and sleep disorders, and dissatisfaction with body image are prevalent disorders in women with fibromyalgia. The authors of this study aimed to determine the effects of tryptophan (TRY) and magnesium-enriched (MG) Mediterranean diet on psychological variables (trait anxiety, mood state, eating disorders, self-image perception) and sleep quality in women with fibromyalgia ( = 22; 49 ± 5 years old). In this randomized, controlled trial, the participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the placebo group. The intervention group received a Mediterranean diet enriched with high doses of TRY and MG (60 mg of TRY and 60 mg of MG), whereas the control group received the standard Mediterranean diet. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Questionnaire, Body Shape Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Profile of Mood States (POMS-29) Questionnaire, Eating Attitudes Test-26, and Trait Anxiety Inventory were completed before and 16 weeks after the intervention. Significant differences were observed between groups after the intervention for the mean scores of trait anxiety ( = 0.001), self-image perception ( = 0.029), mood disturbance ( = 0.001), and eating disorders ( = 0.006). This study concludes that tryptophan and magnesium-enriched Mediterranean diet reduced anxiety symptoms, mood disturbance, eating disorders, and dissatisfaction with body image but did not improve sleep quality in women with fibromyalgia.

Address: Faculty of Sciences, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain.; Effort Physiology Laboratory Research Group, Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Science-INEF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.; Faculty of Sports, Catholic University of Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain.; Faculty of Nursing, Catholic University of Murcia, 30107 Murcia, Spain.; Department of Health, Vinalopó University Hospital, 03293 Elche, Spain.; Faculty of Medicine, Miguel Hernández University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Spain.

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17072227