Chocolate no magic cure for fibromyalgia

I read the recent article “Why Do We Love Chocolate So Much?” with interest. The article suggests that chocolate may be a cure for fibromyalgia. As a person who has suffered from fibromyalgia for decades, I am very familiar with the condition.

Through the years I have come across a lot of false information about fibromyalgia, including claims that diet can affect the condition. The fact is that there is no scientific evidence that adjusting one's diet will improve or cure fibromyalgia.

Connie Luedtke, R.N., the nursing supervisor of the Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., states the following about such diet misconceptions: Some people think that there's a magic diet for fibromyalgia. They think that they should avoid refined flour and sugar, sugar substitutes, the caramel color in some soft drinks, or carbonated drinks in general. But there hasn't been any research-based evidence demonstrating that any of these substances cause the symptoms, nor that removing these substances from your diet works to make the pain go away. There may be anecdotal evidence — people who say that something helps relieve their symptoms — but there's no clearly identified problem foods or magical diet cure yet.

Releasing a declaration from an owner of a chocolate store that states that chocolate is a cure for chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia is, in my opinion, irresponsible. Such claims give false hope to people who may be desperate for relief and will try anything. Granted, an ounce of chocolate will likely do no harm, but the majority of people with fibromyalgia want valid advice on how to help them function better, not another false cure from a person who has a vested interest in selling her product.

Gina Knutson

Glen Ellyn