Vitamins and Minerals

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Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamin E: Helps to relieve pain in CFS patients. Can also improve night leg cramps, which interferes with sleep.36

Vitamin C: Enhances immune function by increasing natural killer cells, B and T cells. Can prevent chronic bladder infections by acidifying urine.37-44

Vitamin D: Regulates immune functions of monocytes and neutrophils.45-47

Magnesium: Involved with immune support. Working with malic acid, enhances immune function by increasing natural killer cells. Magnesium is also critical for the relief of muscle pain.48,49

Inositol: Enhances immune function by increasing natural killer cells.50

Malic Acid: Working with magnesium, improves energy levels by improving cellular functions. Especially important in muscle metabolism.49

Amino Acids: Glycine, Serine, Taurine, Tyrosine are essential for the production of energy in the body. Also essential for brain function.51

Zinc: Supports the immune system by enhancing neutrophil activity and supporting healthy antigen-antibody binding.52,53

Selenium: Supports immune function by enhancing antibody production.54,55

Fructooligosaccharides: Provides nutrition for good bacteria in the intestinal tract, improving digestion and healthy microflor56

All of the vitamins, minerals, and other nutritional supplements on the list are important to ensure recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome. To ensure that your nutritional supplement regimen contains all of these ingredients, look for a powdered supplement formulated specifically for CFS/FMS sufferers that can be reconstituted in a beverage of your choice. A powdered drink mix is a pleasant, easy way to ensure that you are taking all of the needed vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that will give you the needed energy to recover from your illness.

B Vitamin Complex for Energy
In addition to the powdered energy drink mix, it is important that you also take a vitamin B-complex supplement specifically formulated for people with CFS/FMS. The B vitamin formula, which should include niacinamide, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, and choline, is especially important to restore the energy production needs of your body, as well as for mental function. It is also important to make sure that the dosages are high enough for CFS/FM needs.57,58 The chart below lists the B vitamins that are critical for people suffering from CFS.

B Vitamins Effect on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
B Vitamins Effect on CFS Niacinamide Thiamine Vitamin B6 Pantothenic Acid Folic Acid Vitamin B12 Essential vitamin that is a component of the body's energy furnace, helping to improve fatigue and "brain fog".59 Essential in the process of energy production. This vitamin also removes lactic acid from muscles, which causes them to be sore in fibromyalgia patients.59 Working along with thiamine, this vitamin is critical in the process of energy production.59 This vitaminan improves adrenal gland function, which will boost energy levels. It can also aid in weight loss by decreasing appetite.60 Aids in strengthening the immune system, and aids in mental clarity and concentration.61 Important for brain function and nerve repair. Aids in relieving fatigue symptoms in CFS patients.57

Studies have demonstrated that people with CFS/FMS are often deficient in many of the B vitamins, which tend to worsen their symptoms of fatigue and mental “fogginess” and ultimately lead to a weakened immune system.