Can we Reduce the Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by Regulating Micronutrients? A Review

Abstract

Introduction: Deficiencies of some micronutrients have been observed in chronic fatigue syndrome patients, but the underlying cause has not been fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is a relationship between CFS and micronutrients. Methods: Related articles searched the combinations of the following terms which were used for the search in the Web of Science database: “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” OR “Chronic Fatigue-Fibromyalgia Syndrome” OR “Postviral Fatigue Syndrome” AND “vitamins” OR “minerals” OR “micronutrients”. Articles that met the inclusion criteria were included. Results: The initial search resulted in 225 studies, with 11 studies fully meeting the inclusion criteria. In these studies, it has been shown that micronutrients may play a role in the etiology of CFS, and that supplemented micronutrients can positively affect the symptoms of CFS. Conclusion: Although there seems to be a close relationship between CFS-related syndromes and nutritional status, the literature on this subject remains limited. The results of the studies were not compatible with each other due to differences in the studies. Therefore, new studies are needed to fully explain the relationship between CFS and micronutrients.