Nutrient Therapy for the Improvement of Fatigue Symptoms

Abstract

Fatigue, characterised by lack of energy, mental exhaustion and poor muscle endurance which do not recover following a period of rest, is a common characteristic symptom of several conditions and negatively impacts the quality of life of those affected. Fatigue is often a symptom of concern for people suffering from conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, and multiple sclerosis. Vitamins and minerals, playing essential roles in a variety of basic metabolic pathways that support fundamental cellular functions, may be important in mitigating physical and mental fatigue. Several studies have examined the potential benefits of nutrients on fatigue in various populations. The current review aimed to gather the existing literature exploring different nutrients’ effects on fatigue. From the searches of the literature conducted in PubMed, Ovid, Web of Science, and Google scholar, 60 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Among the included studies, 50 showed significant beneficial effects (p < 0.05) of vitamin and mineral supplementation on fatigue. Altogether, the included studies investigated oral or parenteral administration of nutrients including Coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, zinc, methionine, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), and vitamins C, D and B. In conclusion, the results of the literature review suggest that these nutrients have potentially significant benefits in reducing fatigue in healthy individuals as well as those with chronic illness, both when taken orally and parenterally. Further studies should explore these novel therapies, both as adjunctive treatments and as sole interventions.

Nutrition and Chronobiology as Key Components of Multidisciplinary Therapeutic Interventions for Fibromyalgia and Associated Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Narrative and Critical Review

“…In the same line, oral CoQ10 plus NADH supplementation improved fatigue and biochemical parameters in CFS patients after 8 weeks of treatment [ 133 ]. Furthermore, a recent review suggests the capability of coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, Zn, methionine, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), and vitamins C, D, and B supplementation in decreasing fatigue in FM and SCF [ 134 ]. On the other hand, D-ribose and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation led to positive outcomes for CFS symptom relief [ 41 , 135 ].…”

A Narrative Review: Analysis of Supplemental Parenteral Nutrition in Adults at the End of Life

“…EL entails vitamin deficiencies that require supplementation, and thus vitamins are administered as a commercial multivitamin supplement composed of vitamins C, A, E, K and the B complex (B 1 , B 2 , B 3 , B 6 , B 7 , B 9 , B 12 ) [ 79 ]. The literature includes a series of considerations with respect to SPN and vitamins: (a) there is no conclusive evidence of or studies on the possible benefit of vitamin D, although there are studies that associate it with a decrease in mortality and mechanical ventilation time; (b) vitamin C is unstable, susceptible to oxidation reactions and is usually associated with neuropathy, hemolysis and hyperglycemia phenomena [ 80 , 81 ]; (c) B group vitamins are involved in reducing fatigue syndrome [ 82 ]; (d) vitamin supplementation is justified in terms of nutritional requirements to improve immune function, regulate hypercatabolism and exert an antioxidant action, but if it is provided too early, it can have adverse effects such as prolonging the ICU stay and the risk of infections [ 83 ]; (e) ASPEN and ESPEN clinical practice guidelines refer to the need to supplement PN with vitamins in critical condition, but there is no consensus or evidence on timing, clinical criteria or protocols in EL [ 84 ].…”

A Novel Approach for Automatic Detection of Driver Fatigue Using EEG Signals Based on Graph Convolutional Networks

“…Among driving accidents, fatigue and sleepiness are the main and major contributors to the occurrence of injuries and financial losses for drivers and passengers [1,2]. According to the statistics of the World Health Organization, 20 to 30 percent of road accidents are due to driver fatigue [3]. Based on the above facts, it is necessary to design an intelligent system to monitor driver fatigue and inform the driver of the degree of fatigue.…”