Healthy Eating Directly Linked too Chronic Pain Reduction, New Study Finds
Adelaide, Australia – A new study from the University of South Australia (UniSA) reveals that improving diet quality can significantly reduce chronic musculoskeletal pain, independently of weight loss. The research, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, challenges the long-held assumption that weight reduction is the primary driver of pain relief.
Researchers followed 104 Australian adults with overweight or obesity over a three-month period. Participants who improved their dietary habits reported a significant decrease in joint and muscle pain, even when accounting for any weight they may have lost.
“Chronic musculoskeletal pain is one of the most common and debilitating conditions worldwide,” explains lead researcher and UniSA PhD candidate, Sue Ward.”While excess weight is often thought to put stress on joints and drive pain, our study shows that what you eat may independently influence chronic pain.This is a very hopeful finding for people living with chronic pain.”
The study involved a dietary intervention that reduced participants’ daily energy intake by 30% – from approximately 9100 to 5800 kilojoules – by adhering to the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Participants increased their consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins while reducing discretionary foods and alcohol.
After three months, participants demonstrated a 22% advancement in diet quality, alongside a dramatic reduction in chronic musculoskeletal pain, falling from 50% reporting pain to just 24%. They also reported less pain severity and improved pain-related quality of life. On average, participants lost around seven kilograms of body weight.
Crucially, researchers found that improvements in pain severity were directly linked to improved diet quality, regardless of changes in weight, waist circumference, or body fat.”Eating well isn’t just about long-term disease prevention – it can also have an immediate and tangible impact on how we feel day to day,” says co-researcher Dr. Alison hill, also from UniSA. “This study shows that adopting a healthier diet may lead to meaningful reductions in pain which improve overall wellbeing.”
The findings underscore the importance of nutrition in chronic pain management and add to a growing body of evidence supporting the link between healthy eating and overall health. While further research is needed, this study opens new avenues for pain management strategies, focusing on the power of dietary interventions.
Source: University of South Australia – https://www.unisa.edu.au/media-centre/Releases/2025/beyond-weight-loss-how-healthy-eating-cuts-chronic-pain/
Journal Reference: Ward, S. J., et al.(2025). Exploring the role of diet quality and adiposity in the pain experience: a mediation analysis. European Journal of Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-025-03772-0
