A: ) In the last two newsletters we talked about the main causes of nutritional deficiencies in CFS and fibromyalgia. To summarize, these are:

1. Poor digestion because of inadequate enzymes (they were removed from the food during food processing). Because of this problem, I suspect that most Americans (especially those with indigestion or gas/bloating) would benefit dramatically from taking digestive enzymes with their meals. This simply replaces the enzymes normally present in food that were lost in food processing. It is critical that the enzymes are plant based or they will not work in the acid environment of the stomach. I recommend CompleteGest by Enzymatic Therapy.
2. Food processing resulting in a nutritionally deficient diet- especially because of excess sugar and white flour
3. Bowel infections resulting in poor absorption, and
4. Increased nutritional needs because of your illness.

These problems result in widespread nutritional deficiencies. We talked about how using a powdered vitamin supplement (Daily Energy Enfusion Powder by Enzymatic Therapy) can take care of most of your basic micronutrient needs. Using this powder, one good tasting drink and one capsule a day replaces 25 vitamin tablets. This can give you a solid foundation for your (and most anyone’s) nutritional support. This product can now be found in most health food stores as well as on my web site at www.EndFatigue.com. As noted previously, 100 percent of my royalties for making these products are donated to charity.

I would now (and in the upcoming newsletter #16) like to discuss additional nutrients that, although not critical, can be very helpful in the initial treatment of CFS and fibromyalgia. Most of these only need to be taken for 3-9 months, after which time taking the powder and digestive enzymes by themselves should be adequate for most people.

1. CoEnzyme Q10 - Take 200 mg - 1 x a day. This nutrient is especially important for any one who is taking cholesterol-lowering prescriptions (e.g., Mevacor) as well as for people with CFS/Fibromyalgia. Take it with a meal that has fat, with oil supplements, or in an oil based form to improve absorption. Vitaline makes the best form. Many others have nowhere near the amounts they claim to have. This supplement helps your body produce energy.
2. NAC (N-Acetyl -L-Cysteine) – 500-650mg a day for 3 months. Makes Glutathione. Although the effects on your symptoms may not be quickly noticeable with NAC, I think it is incredibly helpful in rebuilding your immune system. I strongly suspect that overtime we'll find that glutathione deficiency is a major trigger for the immune malfunction in CFS. NAC is cheap, safe, and one of the most effective ways of raising glutathione levels (especially when taken with the Daily Energy Enfusion vitamin powder). After three months of NAC use, the amount of NAC in the vitamin powder should be enough to maintain adequate levels.

   Although these nutrients (and the ones discussed in the upcoming newsletter) can be very helpful, most of you will find that for the long run using the Daily Energy Enfusion Powder and the CompleteGest digestive enzymes (both by Enzymatic Therapy), avoiding excess sugar and increasing your water and salt intake will do a good job of handling your nutritional support. Some patients also find that a high-protein, low simple carbohydrate "whole foods" diet is also helpful. Still, these additional nutrients can be very helpful for many people with CFS and fibromyalgia during their "recovery/rebuilding" phase. The products noted above are available in most health food stores and can also be found on my web site at www.endfatigue.com or by calling 800-333-5287(800-feel-btr).