How to Cure Chronic Fatigue

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating disease where the person is chronically tired mentally and/or physically. There is a wide spectrum where some can’t even leave their beds or hold a glass of water, while others can do more physical and mental work but their stamina is short-lived. 

Individuals who suffer from CFS primarily have dysfunctional mitochondria where the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is limited, causing the person to be tired more frequently than normal.

ATP is needed by human cells to do just about any process from blinking your eye to processing thought. There are trillions of these powerhouse organelles in the average human body and they are considered domesticated bacteria living in our cells through a mutualistic relationship.

What Causes the Mitochondrion to Become Dysfunctional?

Everything in the body, including the mitochondria, can be negatively affected by endogenous and exogenous toxins. In particular when the body’s detoxification system cannot keep up with cleansing from the constant flow of toxins. 

These toxins can damage the cells and what is inside them such as the mitochondria. On top of that many sufferers of CFS have autoimmunity where the immune system creates antibody molecules (anti-mitochondrial antibodies) and inflammation to get rid of the toxins which damage the mitochondria in the process (1). 

When using electron microscopy in a muscle biopsy, there is ample evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction is present in patients diagnosed with CFS (2).

Gaps Diet Helps with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 

If you are not familiar with the GAPS Nutritional Protocol then please read more about here. You will notice as you read more on GutReality.com there are a few common themes, gut flora, the digestive system, and toxins.

Every cell in the body is connected and being affected by what we do in terms of food consumption and other behaviors that we conduct daily. 

How the GAPS nutritional protocol helps in healing the body and eventually resolving the chronic fatigue syndrome:

  • The GAPS Diet works on the source of the problem by providing specific healing foods to be the building blocks to heal and seal the leaky gut where pathogenic microbes, toxins, and undigested foods reach the bloodstream and create havoc on the cells of the body including the mitochondria.   

  • Dr. Natasha explains effectively how there is a vicious cycle that is happening with individuals who have CFS. When your powerhouse organelles are toxic they get damaged and won’t be able to work efficiently to produce energy. This leads to paralyzing the body regarding detoxing itself and getting rid of all these flowing toxins therefore the body becomes more polluted. 

  • Due to the accumulation of toxins more of the mitochondria become damaged and can no longer produce energy for the person to get up from bed. Not to mention the immune system is busy helping by neutralizing toxins, however, damaging the mitochondria in this process. 

  • The GAPS Diet, when implemented correctly, starts to reduce the load of toxins coming from the leaky gut by healing and sealing it. This results in multiple positive effects where the body eventually can detox itself effectively and reduce the load of toxins in the cells.  

  • The immune system will calm down and eventually not attack the mitochondria as fewer toxins are deposited in the cells. Therefore the person will slowly but steadily gain more energy.

  • That’s how the GAPS diet deals with CFS and other chronic diseases by addressing the source of the problem. Depending on how severe the person's CFS is, the journey of healing will take time, maybe months, a year, or even longer.

  • But do not despair. I can tell you as a GAPS patient myself, it took me several months to get rid of my allergies and other minor digestive disorders, but it is worth it. In the beginning, as my body started the healing process it got worse before it got better, which can be discouraging but I persisted and I feel much better and without allergies and I no longer have to deal with digestive disorders and the symptoms that came along with them.


Sources

  • Source (1): Campbell-McBride, N. (2020) Gut and Physiology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Allergies, Autoimmune Illness, Arthritis, Gut Problems, Fatigue, Hormonal Problems, Neurological Disease, and More. Cambridge, England. Medinform Publishing.
  • Source (2)