Interactions between diet, immune system and brain function in the symptom profile of chronic fatigue syndrome

Despite more than two decades of intensive empirical research and the identification of a variety of interesting endocrine, immune, infectious, muscular and neurological abnormalities, the aetiology and pathogenesis of the disease known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) remains unknown. The CFS literature does however demonstrate a consensus that CFS is likely to have a complex and multifactorial aetiology and pathogenesis which involves predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating factors (White 2004).

The CFS literature also reveals substantial evidence to suggest that nutritional and dietary deficiencies contribute to the CFS aetiology picture. This chapter provides a comprehensive and far reaching review of the research evidence on the interactions between diet, the immune system and brain function in the symptom profile of CFS. Many investigations of CFS have indicated nutritional deficiencies especially essential fatty acids (EFA), B vitamins and magnesium all of which overlap significantly with typical CFS symptoms of incapacitating fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, sleep disturbance, myalgia, arthralgia, headache and gastrointestinal upset.
Although empirical studies have identified these important nutritional deficiencies in CFS, they do not appear to be linked to poor dietary intake, and as such it is hypothesised that nutritional deficiencies found in CFS are produced as result of the illness process (Afari et al. 2000).