John Arts - Natural health researcher John Arts is a natural health researcher and supplement formulator. If you have questions or would like a free health plan you can contact John on 0800 423 559 or join his newsletter at www.johnarts.co.nz.

I recently wrote a column on chronic fatigue syndrome and was stunned at the number of people who contacted me.
If you missed the column and would like a copy please contact me. One of the sad aspects was talking to parents of teenagers who have this type of problem.

Most were bright and active, often top achievers before they became unwell. While each story is different, typically it will start with viral infection like Epstein Barr Virus leading to glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis) and eventually CFS.
While 90 per cent of young people who have glandular fever will fully recover, about one in 10 experience prolonged flu like symptoms with significant fatigue. These post-infection syndromes can last for years and in some cases create a life-long pattern. Many find it impossible to continue with normal activities, including school, sports and slowly withdraw from their normal life. To add to the misery, this is one problem that has few medical answers other than treating some of the symptoms such as insomnia, depression and sometimes pain.
Other symptoms often emerge and these can be quite diverse, but include "brain fog" and poor concentration and memory, food intolerances and other digestive problems and in some a hyper-sensitivity to chemicals, smells and even noise. For young women, typically after 6-12 months with CFS they start to experience various body pains that are often diagnosed as fibromyalgia.
Without repeating my recent CFS column, research strongly supports that CFS is a mitochondrial disease. In other words, it is a disease that affects the ability of our cells to produce energy efficiently. I often use the analogy of a car engine that once worked perfectly. Then one night someone broke into your garage and altered the computer that governs the car engine. As a result, it makes less power and more exhaust by-products. In the human cell this means less energy and a much higher output of pro-oxidant and inflammatory compounds that affect many body systems.
The key to help these young people to return to something like normal is to first add the antioxidants and various co factors that can deal with the toxic by-products while introducing nutrients necessary for normal energy production. By doing this we put pressure on the cycle of failed cell chemistry that causes these prolonged and distressing syndromes and allow the body's healing processes to start to work again.

John Arts is a natural health commentator and researcher. If you have questions or would like a free health plan you can contact John at john@johnarts.co.nz or phone 07 578 9051 or 0800 423 559. You can join his newsletter at www.johnarts.co.nz