Can a Poor Diet Cause Chronic Pain? Study Links Pain with Vitamin Deficiencies

A report from the University of Arizona Health Sciences entitled “Micronutrients and Chronic Pain: A Cross-Sectional Analysis” was first published on May 16, 2025, and the University of Arizona Health Sciences republished an article about the study on July 11, 2025. In the study, researchers assess whether or not certain micronutrients in your diet—namely vitamins D, B12, and C, folate, and magnesium—have any impact on chronic pain. 

The researchers broke study participants down into three groups: those with severe chronic pain, those with mild-to-moderate pain, and those with no pain. They then assessed the levels of the five key micronutrients (vitamins D, B12, and C, folate and magnesium) within each group. 

They found that a poor diet does cause chronic pain. How? People with certain vitamin or mineral deficiencies were more likely to experience chronic pain. Specifically, the researchers found pain patients were more likely to have lower levels of folate, magnesium, vitamin D, and B12. And, the more serious the deficiency, the more likely the person is to suffer from severe chronic pain.

A few other interesting findings came about. The researchers examined various demographic groups as well. Vitamin B12 deficiencies are common, but Asian females had higher B12 levels than expected. Asian females with severe chronic pain had the highest B12 levels, even though researchers expected the levels to be lower. 

The results were also interesting for vitamin C. Men without chronic pain were less likely to have low or near-low levels of vitamin C than men with mild-to-moderate and severe chronic pain. However, males who had severe vitamin C deficiency were also more likely to have chronic pain.

Although the data has some outliers, overall it shows that nutrient deficiency and chronic pain are related. Having a balanced diet can potentially help chronic pain, as the body has the tools it needs to heal and repair, and it has enough fuel to build muscles for structural support.

“Our goal is to improve the quality of life for people with chronic pain and reduce opioid usage, and these findings have the potential to do that as part of a holistic approach to pain management,” said study co-author Deborah Morris, PhD.

Many of the current treatments for chronic pain tend to be more about management than prevention. This study aims to help alleviate the problem at the prevention stage, and we hope to see more research aimed at chronic pain prevention in the future.