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In women with fibromyalgia, a Mediterranean diet fortified with extra-virgin olive oil enriches beneficial anti-inflammatory and butyrate-producing gut bacteria.
A randomized controlled trial found that adding extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) to a Mediterranean diet selectively increased beneficial, anti-inflammatory, and butyrate-producing gut bacteria in women with fibromyalgia, reinforcing the potential of dietary interventions to target gut dysbiosis in this chronic pain disorder.
Fibromyalgia impacts millions worldwide and is marked by chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain, cognitive dysfunction, fatigue, and sleep disturbances. Beyond abnormalities in pain processing, mounting evidence implicates alterations in the gut microbiome as a contributor to persistent inflammation and symptom burden. Seeking to determine whether nutrition could modify this microbial imbalance, researchers explored the effects of an EVOO-enriched Mediterranean diet in fibromyalgia.
In this prospective, randomized controlled trial, 250 women were enrolled, including 206 with fibromyalgia and 44 healthy controls. Those with fibromyalgia followed a Mediterranean diet for six months and received either extra-virgin olive oil or refined olive oil (placebo). Gut microbial composition was analyzed at four time points via16S rRNA (V3–V4) sequencing.
At study entry, women with fibromyalgia exhibited reduced gut microbial diversity compared with healthy controls, supporting previous evidence of microbiome disruption in the condition. Although overall bacterial diversity remained stable throughout the intervention, EVOO elicited distinct changes in microbial composition by enriching several taxa linked with intestinal and immune health.
Key findings
EVOO-enriched Mediterranean diet appears to be a promising adjunct to conventional fibromyalgia management, offering a non-pharmacological approach to improving gut microbial health. Future studies must determine whether these microbiome changes translate into sustained reductions in pain, fatigue, and other hallmark symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Life
Impact of a Mediterranean Diet Supplemented with Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Gut Microbiota in Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Elena Durán González et al.
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