TREATMENT DATABASE

Vitamins are organic (carbon-containing) substances needed in tiny amounts to promote biochemical reactions within living cells. There are thirteen known vitamins, all of which act as catalysts, or more specifically, coenzymes; that is, they initiate or speed chemical reactions in cells while remaining unchanged themselves. They accomplish their task mainly by combining with a protein-containing apoenzyme (vitamins contain no protein) to form a complete enzyme. The completed enzyme performs the role of biochemical catalyst, enabling most of the body's vital cell functions to occur in an orderly and efficient manner. Without vitamins, many essential cell functions would cease, resulting in any number of vitamin deficiency-related diseases and problems. Most vitamins must be obtained from food because the body rarely manufactures them in adequate amounts (vitamin K is the exception).

USES IN ME/CFS. Most ME/CFS clinicians include vitamin supplementation as a part of a general treatment protocol. The reasons vitamin supplementation is considered a central part of ME/CFS treatment are threefold. First, the ill body consumes vitamins much faster than the healthy body. Patients, particularly those with long-term illnesses, need vitamins in amounts that exceed those which can be derived from food, especially when the illness causes metabolic defects.

Second, at least 50% of patients with ME/CFS have absorption problems (leaky gut, low stomach acid production, or other gastrointestinal difficulties). When food is improperly digested, vitamins are not extracted efficiently, necessitating some kind of supplementation.

Third, immune system activation prevents some vitamins from working properly. Excess cytokine production blocks vitamin C function, for example.

Treatment rating for Vitamins (multi)