New Article on Nutritional Strategies for Treating CFS by Dr. Melvyn Werbach

[richvank]

Hi, all.

Dr. Melvyn Werbach has updated his earlier paper on nutritional strategies for treating CFS. The first part can be found here:

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=16394

The second part can be found by clicking on it at the end of the first part.

You might also be interested in the comments I posted to this article. The Glutathione Depletion--Methylation Cycle Block hypothesis is able to explain why the deficiencies he describes are present in CFS, and the methylation treatment is in pretty good accord with his recommendations.

Best regards,

Rich

 

[Sallysblooms]

Very good article, I saved it, thank you. I think I am covered. My doc. has me on a lot of good supplements.

 

[maddietod]

Fabulous article - thanks for posting this. I appreciate the summary at the end, that tells how much to take, and how long you have to wait to notice benefits.

 

[Sasha]

Thanks for posting this, rich - I'm only halfway through but I'm already amazed at all the evidence for nutritional deficiencies in PWME that I didn't know about. The info on what the various vitamins and minerals do in the body is amazing.

I started Freddd's b12 protocol five weeks ago and so have been supplementing with a lot of this stuff and I've already seen clear and (for me) substantial benefits. I've been really surprised to see such effects just with nutritional supplements when I've tried stuff before but apparently the wrong stuff at the wrong doses!

ETA: Here's the link to Part 2 of the article, which didn't work for me at the end of Part 1: http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=16395

 

[alex3619]

Hi, I have yet to read the entire article in detail, but I wanted to write about essential fatty acids. I was a patient of the Dr. Martinovic mentioned. I can say that essential fatty acid supplementation is a difficult topic. It can help, no doubt about it, but it can also harm. I am writing a blog on this as I frequently find I need to send out information on this topic, and I hope to have it out soon. In the meantime, do keep your evening primrose oil supplementation low, and watch out for any increase in flu-like symptoms which are a sign to discontinue.

Generally, with the important caveat by Rich in mind, I do agree with the discussion. I need to read it in more detail though. Bye, Alex

ps One thing has leapt out at me, there is no recommendation for vitamin E. I would definitely add mixed tocopherols in there. One ME specialist I know of cannot even find any detectable vitamin E in some patients.

 

[Sallysblooms]

Yes, Vit E is needed. I take that too, ha. My docs are on the ball with it all. Being stressed and also ill really changes our reserves and bodies in so many ways. Full time job to keep ourselves as healthy as possible.

 

[Valentijn]

Is it possible to get high dose folate? The highest I've seen is 800mcg, which would be 2-13 pills per day to get the recommended dose, and I like to go high if I can.

 

[richvank]

Is it possible to get high dose folate? The highest I've seen is 800mcg, which would be 2-13 pills per day to get the recommended dose, and I like to go high if I can.

Hi, Valentijn.

The reason why folate supplements are limited to 800 micrograms of dosage is as follows:

Many people develop B12 deficiency, which is common in older people because their stomach acid production decreases in many cases, so that they are not able to separate B12 from protein in their diet and thus are not able to absorb it very well. The common way that conventional physicians detect B12 deficiency is from the routine complete blood count (CBC). (This is not the best way to do it, but it is less expensive than adding a test for methylmalonic acid, so that is what is done.) If the mean corpuscular volume (the size of the red blood cells) is high on the CBC, they suspect a B12 or folate deficiency. The large size of the red blood cells is actually caused by a folate deficiency in the cells of the bone marrow, which produce red blood cells, because folate is needed to make DNA to produce the new cells, but a B12 deficiency can cause this to occur, because it results in draining of folates from the cells via the "methyl trap" mechanism.

Now, the problem is that if a person has a B12 deficiency, and happens to supplement folate at high dosage, the red blood cells can be produced at normal size, but the person will still be deficient in B12. This has consequences for the brain, and can lead to irreversible dementia. To guard against missing a B12 deficiency, it has been decided to limit the size of folate supplements in the hope that fewer people will take large folate dosages, and thus will not mask possible B12 deficiency, so that it can be corrected, preventing brain damage.

Best regards,

Rich

 

[valentinelynx]

Is it possible to get high dose folate? The highest I've seen is 800mcg, which would be 2-13 pills per day to get the recommended dose, and I like to go high if I can.

Deplin, prescription medication, provides an analog of folate (L-5-methyl tetrahydrofolate) in very high doses: 7.5 mg per tablet. It is used as a adjunct treatment for depression alongside SSRIs, SNRIs or other antidepressants. You've probably seen FolaPro, which comes in an 800 mcg strength. Deplin is only available by prescription.

 

[Valentijn]

Deplin, prescription medication, provides an analog of folate (L-5-methyl tetrahydrofolate) in very high doses: 7.5 mg per tablet.

Ahhh, thanks. I might even be able to get that one from my GP that thinks I need a shrink to cure my CFS

Oh, and nice name!