Combating chronic fatigue syndrome

In today’s stressful life, symptoms of physical exhaustion, undue stress, easy fatigability, dizziness on standing, and simply no zest for life are fairly common. Many call it a burnout. Doctors call it chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Health experts define CFS as a condition characterized by fatigue and prolonged tiredness that does not respond to rest and which does not appear to have a specific physical cause. It makes performance of daily tasks difficult, as CFS sufferers feel exhausted even with activities of daily living.

The exhaustion is often accompanied by poor sleep patterns, joint and muscle pains and on-and-off colds, cough or sore throat. Hence, it is frequently diagnosed as flu or an upper respiratory tract infection. However, the big difference, according to health experts, is that CFS symptoms are persistent or recurrent.

Prof. K.Y. Fulcher and Dr. P.D. White said in their article published in the reputable British Medical Journal that the exact cause of CFS is not known although some postulate that it might be caused by a virus or an inflammation of the tissues in the nervous system. The two recommended supervised graded exercises for CFS patients.

The lack of energy by CFS sufferers may be triggered or aggravated by stress and can also lead to depression. Drs. M. Sharpe, K. Hawton and S. Simkim. who performed a well-designed randomized controlled clinical trial on CFS patients, which was published in the British Medical Journal, recommended that cognitive behavior therapy should also be done to help the patients deal with stress.

Aside from a healthy diet, graded exercises and stress-management therapy, drug treatment for CFS patients are mainly supportive and supplemental.

According to Profs. I, Bou-Holalgah, P.C. Rowe, J. Kan and H. Calkins in their study on CFS published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the blood pressure of CFS sufferers may be labile bordering toward low blood pressure. They have shown a relationship between CFS and nervous-system mediated hypotension or lowering of the blood pressure.

The hypotension may be manifested as dizziness especially on standing from a recumbent or sitting position or when stooping down. The lack of energy and hypotension in CFS patients are the reasons why many clinicians prescribe the food supplements ginseng royal jelly and licorice for these patients. Prof. R. Bascheti published his group’s clinical research in the New Zealand Medical Journal showing the beneficial effects of licorice for CFS patients.

Trianon ginseng royal jelly, locally available as an over-the-counter food supplement at Mercury Drug stores, contains 300 mg of panax ginseng, 300 mg of royal jelly and 100 mg of licorice which is believed to be a favorable combination of supplements for CFS sufferers.

Although its local distributors, Trianon International Inc. and HealthLine Systems Inc., emphasize that it is only a supportive supplement and not a cure for CFS, various researches have shown that ginseng and royal jelly when used over time appear to help respond to stressful conditions in the body; help the body resist viral infection and environmental toxins; and help improve memory, concentration and learning.

Oriental medicine has considered ginseng a necessary element in most prescriptions to help relieve both mental and bodily or physical fatigue. Hence, it is also recommended for adults, students and workers doing both physical and mental work.

Based on laboratory analysis, ginseng with royal jelly contains vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids and important enzymes which aid in the production of hormones necessary for the functioning of the immune or defense system.

The main active ingredients of ginseng are the more than 13 identified saponin triterpenoid glycosides called "ginsenosides." These steroid-like nutrients provide the adaptogenic properties that enable ginseng to balance and counteract the effect of stress on the body.

The ginsenosides appear to act on the adrenal glands, helping to prevent adrenal hypertrophy and excess corticosteroid production in response to physical, chemical or biological stress.

Studies done in China showed that ginsenosides also increase protein synthesis and activity of neurotransmitters in the brain. Hence, ginseng has been prescribed to help improve memory, concentration and cognitive abilities.

Since the doses of the active ingredients in Trianon ginseng royal jelly are relatively higher compared to other preparations in the market, the recommended dose of this food supplement for CFS, memory enhancement or as a maintenance energy vitamin, is just one capsule daily in the morning. One may opt to take a second capsule for extremely busy or stressful conditions but the second dose is recommended to be taken after lunch.

It is not advised to take Trianon ginseng royal jelly at night since its stimulant effect may cause some difficulty in sleeping. This, however, may be desired for those who would like to stay up late at night when studying or working.