Linda is our resident health and wellness editor. As a long time health and nutrition enthusiast, she spends her time researching scientific studies and keeping up with the latest health and wellness trends to provide top nutrition tips.
Fibromyalgia is one of the most prominent chronic illnesses in the UK, affecting nearly 1 in 20 Brits. Those plagued with Fibromyalgia experience numerous symptoms, which can impact one’s social life, relationships, professional life and ability to perform day-to-day activities.
The most common symptoms associated with the condition include: widespread aches and pain throughout the body, stiffness, numbness, digestive issues, mental illness, including depression and anxiety, fatigue, trouble focusing, and more. Yet, despite its prevalence, there is no cure for the condition and treatments to mitigate symptoms are often hit and miss.
How To Treat Fibromyalgia?
Experts recommend several treatments to manage the symptoms of Fibromyalgia, but some of them are better than others. Patients are often recommended to manage pain and stiffness with prescription and over-the-counter painkillers. They are also recommended to increase their exercise intake and implement stress management techniques, like yoga. However, increasing movement is often challenging for those with Fibromyalgia who struggle with joint stiffness and aches.
In recent years, researchers and scientists have put the spotlight on a lesser-known, natural treatment for Fibromylagia: Turmeric. With its strong anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric has been proven to be an excellent remedy for chronic pain, inflammation and stiffness.
Below, we will explore some must-know information about this powerful natural ingredient and discuss how you can choose the most effective turmeric combo supplement to help with symptoms of Fibromyalgia.
What is Turmeric Curcumin?
Turmeric is a plant that typically grows in Southeast Asia. The root of the plant is often used as a cooking spice and a highly effective natural remedy for numerous ailments. Turmeric has been used to treat skin disorders, painful joints and respiratory conditions in India for centuries1.
Today, it is commonly used as a dietary supplement to remedy chronic pain and inflammation, liver disease, digestive issues, and more. The best way to make sure you’re getting adequate daily doses of Turmeric is by taking a quality supplement.
Studies have shown that the main active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, is an effective natural treatment for various health issues, including conditions involving chronic pain, like arthritis and Fibromyalgia, inflammation, Alzeihmer’s and heart disease. However, despite the many advantages of taking turmeric supplements, it’s important to know that they’re not all created equal. In order to reap the benefits of this miracle spice, you need to choose the right supplement.
Choosing the right supplement for Fibromyalgia
When it comes to choosing dietary supplements, many of us are tempted to reach for the cheapest option on the shelf. Yet, there’s a reason some are more expensive than others. Often, higher quality products are also accompanied by a slightly higher price tag. Although this means you’re spending a bit more, it also means you’ll see more results and fully reap the benefits of the supplements you are taking. Below we will roundup of the 5 best supplements for Fibromyalgia on the market.
The benefits of a premium quality supplement can be:
- Relieves joint pain and aids mobility
- Helps to fight chronic illnesses, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia and tendonitis
- Enhances immune health
- Improves the body’s inflammatory response
- Lowers the risk of brain and heart disease
- Increases the body’s antioxidant capacity6
Why It's Crucial That Fibromyalgia Supplements Include Vitamin C and D
Although many brands emphasize the importance of including black pepper extract (or BioPerine) in their turmeric supplements, it is also equally important to look for a product that includes vitamins C and D in their formula. Vitamin C and vitamin D have long been hailed for their many health benefits, but what most consumers don’t know is that these vitamins are essential for bone, cartilage, joint and muscle health, along with many other symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Studies have shown that vitamin D can help to improve overall body tissue health by boosting muscle health and function, improve bone health and even reduce the risk of dangerous falls by helping us to improve balance.
Despite being known for its immune benefits, Vitamin C is also a key vitamin when it comes to improving joint and bone health. Vitamin C can help us to maintain healthy bones by encouraging collagen formation, which can help to protect against osteoporosis. It has also been shown to help to take down inflammation, which helps to alleviate painful symptoms of fibromyalgia.
There are numerous supplements you can take for fibromyalgia, however, the only real way to reap the benefits from them is to choose the right one. Keep reading to see our picks for the top 5 best fibromyalgia supplements on the market.
What should I look for?
Considering all of the attributes listed above, we’ve compiled a list of the three essential criteria you should look for when choosing your fibromyalgia supplement.
One of the most important things to look out for when choosing a supplement is that it’s recommended by healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals are more likely to align themselves with products that are made with high-quality ingredients that truly work.
It’s crucial that the supplement you buy has perine in it’s ingredients list. Perine is a bioactive compound that is found in black pepper7. On its own, turmeric curcumin is not easily absorbed by the body. However, adding perine helps to enhance absorption of turmeric by up to 2,000% percent, so you can take advantage of all the wellness benefits that turmeric supplements have to offer8.
It’s crucial that your supplement contains these two other ingredients. They all work in harmony together on your bone, muscle, joint & immune health.
It goes without saying, but it’s essential that the supplement you take is produced using high-quality, natural ingredients. Make sure that the supplement you buy doesn’t have any additives or additional unnecessary ingredients.
When buying your turmeric curcumin supplement, you need to ensure that the turmeric and perine are delivered in potent doses. Look for supplements with around 200mg of Turmeric Extract9, and 20mg of black pepper extract or BioPerine.
Make sure that the product you buy has a clear money-back guarantee on all product purchases. This is a tell-tale sign that a company knows they’re selling you a great product, so they aren’t afraid to offer you a sort of “insurance” on it.
What should I avoid?
Beware of online reviews (especially on Amazon)
Before purchasing any product, one of the first things we do when researching it is check its online reviews. Unfortunately, these are not always a trustworthy way to measure the quality and effectiveness of a product. Companies often pay for reviews on popular online retailers, like Amazon, to try and trick their way to a five star rating. While you should definitely consult these reviews before purchasing, do your own research as well.
Poor quality ingredients and low potency.
Watch out for supplements that add unnecessary ingredients or synthetic additives.
How we evaluated the top 5
Studies have shown that there are several natural remedies which can help patients better cope with the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Over the last few years, fibromyalgia supplements have surged in popularity as more people try to manage pain, inflammation and stiffness using natural treatments as opposed to strong drugs. While this means there are many more supplements to choose from, it also makes it more challenging to find the right one for you.
We researched the top rated fibromyalgia products on the internet to find the best ones available on the market and rounded up our top picks for you below.