The National Health Statistics Report, recently published by the CDC, provides important updates on the current exhaustion epidemic. The survey asked subjects over 18, “In the past three months, how often did you feel very tired or exhausted?”
The response:
- 16.6 percent of adults said they experienced severe fatigue “most days” or “every day.”
- 71 percent had severe fatigue “some days” and the fatigue significantly interfered with normal function.
According to chronic fatigue and pain expert, researcher, and board-certified internist Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., these numbers reflect the ongoing perfect storm for an exhaustion epidemic. “Widespread exhaustion at this level is caused by multiple factors,” he explains. “Nutritional deficiencies are high on the list. Fully half of the vitamins and minerals in the American diet today are lost in food processing, leaving most of us with suboptimal and often overtly deficient levels. This contributes to a wide array of health problems, including fatigue.”
Poor sleep is also contributing to exhaustion. “We have gone from an average of nine hours of sleep a night before light bulbs to six and three quarter hours,” he says. “That’s a dramatic 30 percent energy pay cut for our bodies!”
According to Teitelbaum, both of the above factors contribute to poor immunity with recurrent and more severe infections. Many of these infections reactivate old Epstein Barr viral infections as well as fatigue and dizziness associated with POTS (Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) and vasovagal syncope.
Unfortunately, most physicians are not familiar with POTS or EBV reactivation and therefore miss or dismiss these treatable issues.
“Underlying the epidemic is the accelerated speed and stress of modern life,” says Teitelbaum. “But insufficient sleep can be treated effectively using a number of natural options including herbs like valerian, passionflower, lemon balm, hops, L-theanine, and sustained-release melatonin.” The published research reveals that multiple dietary supplements can also improve healthy energy significantly, such as HRG 80 Red Ginseng chewable tablets as well as Shine ribose. Says Teitelbaum, “Combined with a good high potency multivitamin powder, these three can often double healthy energy.”
Teitelbaum explains that with the increased presence of chronic illnesses and the aggressive use of medications to treat them, especially in the elderly, the RDAs for vitamins and other supplements no longer apply to most of the population. Bottom line: multivitamins are often inadequate. One striking example is vitamin B12 deficiency created by diabetes and increased further by its medications, including Metformin and GLP-1 agents. These all deplete B12 in the body and are estimated to cause about 10 million preventable cases of neuropathy in diabetes, which are then misdiagnosed as diabetic neuropathy.
“Another recent study found that despite the medical guidelines that require physicians to monitor B12 levels in all patients taking metformin, less than 20 percent of physicians actually do,” says Teitelbaum. “This example underscores the importance of general nutritional supplementation. Using a high potency powdered multivitamin can avert a wide range of health issues including chronic fatigue and pain.”
