• Chronic fatigue syndrome is severely undiagnosed
• Is an unhealthy gut at the root of this health condition?
• 3 tips to rebuild a healthy gut microbiota

For years, many health professionals didn’t recognize chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) as a true health condition. And while most have come around to the idea that it’s not “all in your head”, it’s still severely under diagnosed.

As a matter of fact, it’s estimated that only about two out of every 10 people with CFS actually get a correct diagnoses.

As the name implies, fatigue is a big part of CFS. Physical or mental activity can send you into a bout of exhaustion that can last for a full day, sometimes even longer. But chronic weariness isn’t the only symptom.

Other potential signs of this debilitating condition include:

• Impaired memory and poor concentration
• Unexplained muscle pain
• Joint pain that seems to move from one joint to another
• Frequent headaches
• Sleep problems
• Recurrent sore throats
• Tender lymph nodes

Now, there is no drug or pill for CFS. But that doesn’t mean you can’t gain the upper hand.

Is an Unhealthy Gut at the Root of CFS?

The exact cause of CFS has always been something of a mystery. But over the years we’ve learned a great deal. In particular, inflammatory and autoimmune factors both appear to play a role in the condition.

And there’s one part of your body that has a great influence on both of these activities: Your gut.

You may not realize it, but somewhere around two-thirds of your immune system is located in your gut. In addition, the microbes in your gut can contribute to low grade inflammation.

With this in mind, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that people with CFS have a very distinct mix of gut bacteria compared to people without the disorder. And it’s these microbes that may influence the severity of the disease.

To top it off, patients with CFS are about 90% more likely to have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This bowel condition, of course, is closely linked with the heath of your gut microbiota.

Now here’s the thing. There’s a great deal of communication between your gut and your brain. If the microbes in your gut are sending out the wrong signals – or if communication breaks down altogether – it’s a pretty sure bet that unexpected physical disturbances will follow.

If you want to rebuild your health and start on the path to a more active and pain-free life, here’s what I suggest.

3 Tips to Rebuild Healthy a Gut Microbiota

Rebuilding the health of your gut microbiota isn’t nearly as hard as you might think. However, it does require time, patience and diet modifications.

Remove allergens like milk and wheat from your diet. Humans weren’t meant to drink cow’s milk. And people with CFS appear to have an intolerance to the proteins in it, making symptoms worse. As far as wheat and other grains (such as barley and rye) are concerned, they contain gluten. Gluten is hyper-inflammatory and alters the healthy balance of flora in your digestive tract.

Fill 83% of your plate with vegetables and other plant-based foods. The enzymes in organic fruits, vegetables and beans promote the growth of healthy bacteria. In fact, people who eat the most of these foods have a much healthier diversity of gut microbiota. Plus, these foods help protect the lining of your gut, which is often highly compromised in patients with CFS.

Eat more fermented foods. They’re a great source of natural probiotics that feed your gut. Kimchi, miso, natto, kefir, tempeh and sauerkraut are all fermented foods. Or you can simply add a probiotic to your daily regimen. Look for a formula that contains a prebiotic along with lactobacillus, bifidobacteria and other strains of healthy bacteria.

The higher the colony count, and the more live strains involved, the better off you’ll be. Just make sure to take it daily with food.

You’ll also want to avoid eating processed foods, unhealthy fats and too much meat. (Keep your meat intake to a maximum of about 13% of your overall diet.)

When you focus on healing your gut first, it can greatly improve your chances of a positive outcome. And when you combine these tips with a regular, physician-approved exercise program, stress management and other healthy choices, the results can be life changing.

SOURCES:

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Advancing Research and Clinical Education. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Feb 2016.

Boulangé CL, et al. Impact of the gut microbiota on inflammation, obesity, and metabolic disease. Genome Med. 2016 Apr 20;8(1):42.

Nagy-Szakal D et al. Fecal metagenomic profiles in subgroups of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Microbiome, 2017; 5 (1)

Lakhan SE, et al. Gut inflammation in chronic fatigue syndrome. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2010 Oct 12;7:79.

Bonder MJ, et al. The influence of a short-term gluten-free diet on the human gut microbiome. Genome Med. 2016 Apr 21;8(1):45.

Rowe PC, et al. Cow’s milk protein intolerance in adolescents and young adults with chronic fatigue syndrome. Acta Paediatr. 2016 Sep;105(9):e412-8.

Davis SC, et al. Understanding the Nutritional Needs of the Gut Microbiota. J Hum Nutr Food Sci. 2016;4(1):1079.

Conlon MA, et al. The Impact of Diet and Lifestyle on Gut Microbiota and Human Health. Nutrients. 2015 Jan; 7(1): 17–44.