Vitamin C therapy shows potentialEffect of high dose vitamin C on Epstein-Barr viral infection.
We investigated the effects of high dose intravenous vitamin C on patients suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) linked to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections. Our analysis included data from 178 patients who had elevated levels of EBV antibodies, alongside 40 who also showed signs of ongoing viral activity. Most of our participants were diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, while others had related conditions such as mononucleosis or general fatigue.
What we found is quite promising. High doses of vitamin C appeared to reduce the duration of disease symptoms and helped decrease antibody levels associated with EBV. Notably, we observed that patients with higher levels of vitamin C in their plasma generally had lower levels of certain EBV antibodies, suggesting a potential link that might help manage symptoms of CFS.
Furthermore, there was an interesting connection between vitamin D levels and EBV antibodies as well. Patients who had high levels of vitamin D showed lower levels of EBV early antigen antibodies. This points towards a holistic approach to managing CFS, where both vitamin C and vitamin D may play beneficial roles. Overall, our findings hint at an encouraging effect of high dose vitamin C therapy in helping those grappling with CFS due to EBV.
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Zinc may reduce long COVID symptomsEpipharyngeal Abrasive Therapy (EAT) Has Potential as a Novel Method for Long COVID Treatment.
We evaluated the effects of zinc treatment on individuals with long COVID, focusing on how it relates to chronic fatigue syndrome. Our study involved 58 patients who underwent a unique therapy called Epipharyngeal Abrasive Therapy (EAT), which utilized zinc chloride as an anti-inflammatory agent for the epipharynx.
Participants were treated once a week for a month, and we measured the intensity of their symptoms, specifically fatigue, headaches, and attention disorders, using a visual analog scale (VAS). Remarkably, we found that EAT reduced inflammation in the epipharynx and resulted in significant improvements in the reported intensity of these symptoms.
We believe these findings highlight the potential role of zinc in managing symptoms associated with long COVID and possibly chronic fatigue syndrome. While the evidence is encouraging, it remains essential to conduct more in-depth research to truly understand the specific effects of zinc and ensure these benefits are consistently reproducible.
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Vitamin C may aid CFS managementThe value of the dehydroepiandrosterone-annexed vitamin C infusion treatment in the clinical control of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). I. A Pilot study of the new vitamin C infusion treatment with a volunteer CFS patient.
We aimed to understand whether vitamin C infusion treatments could benefit those suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Specifically, we looked at two types of vitamin C infusion sets: one that included dehydroepiandrosterone (the new set) and one without it (the old set). Our investigation involved a male patient diagnosed with CFS, monitoring his health from August 1995 to May 1996.
Initially, the old infusion method, alongside some antibiotics, showed effectiveness in managing the patient’s pneumonia, which was a part of the CFS symptoms. However, over time, pneumonia symptoms returned, prompting us to alternate between the old and new vitamin C treatments along with longer antibiotic use. Remarkably, this switch led to a notable reduction in pneumonia signs.
We found that the new vitamin C infusion treatment dramatically increased urine excretion of certain hormones, suggesting an enhancement of the body’s steroid activities. Notably, some evidence indicated that the dehydroepiandrosterone was converted into testosterone, which could positively influence the CFS control. However, our searches for changes in immune response didn’t yield significant results.
Ultimately, our observations suggest that the new vitamin C treatment could help manage CFS by boosting cortisol and testosterone levels, but additional studies would be necessary to fully understand its effectiveness in isolation.
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Synbiotics improve post-COVID fatigueThe effects of 3-month supplementation with synbiotic on patient-reported outcomes, exercise tolerance, and brain and muscle metabolism in adult patients with post-COVID-19 chronic fatigue syndrome (STOP-FATIGUE): a randomized Placebo-controlled clinical trial.
We investigated the impact of a 3-month supplementation with a special synbiotic mixture on adults suffering from post-COVID-19 chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). This study was thoughtfully designed as a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial involving 26 participants. The intention was to see how this synbiotic, which notably contains zinc among other components, would influence patients' overall experiences, exercise tolerance, and metabolism in tissues affected by fatigue.
The promising findings indicated that taking the synbiotic mixture for three months improved metabolism and helped alleviate some clinical features associated with post-COVID fatigue syndrome. However, it's important to note that because zinc was part of this mixture, the study does not allow us to draw clear conclusions about zinc alone and its effects on chronic fatigue syndrome.
While our research shows that synbiotics may offer a safe and beneficial approach to managing symptoms of ME/CFS following COVID-19, further investigations are needed to fully understand the role of each component, including zinc, before making any strong recommendations for its use in this context.
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Oral supplement improves long COVIDPotential Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Fatigue Effects of an Oral Food Supplement in Long COVID Patients.
We conducted a clinical trial to examine how an oral food supplement (OFS) could impact patients suffering from long COVID, particularly focusing on inflammation and fatigue. This was a robust study design, featuring a double-blind, placebo-controlled setup that included 2 capsules of the supplement daily over two months.
The supplement contained a mix of ingredients like rosehip, propolis, royal jelly, zinc, and vitamin C. While zinc was part of the mix, we observed significant results in inflammation reduction through various parameters, such as a decrease in the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and C-reactive protein levels. However, we couldn’t isolate zinc's effects individually, as it was evaluated alongside other components.
Importantly, there were also noteworthy improvements in patients’ fatigue levels and overall quality of life, as measured by the fatigue severity scale. We found that vitamin D levels rose significantly in participants during the supplement phase, suggesting that the OFS has potential benefits beyond just zinc.
In conclusion, while this study reveals the OFS improved inflammatory symptoms, fatigue, and quality of life, we must recognize that we did not specifically analyze zinc's isolated effects on chronic fatigue syndrome.
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