Chronic fatigue: Can herbal remedies boost my energy?

Are there any natural remedies that reduce chronic fatigue associated with chronic fatigue syndrome? I sleep eight to 10 hours a night, and I'm still exhausted on most days.

- Beverly / California

Answer

Many studies have evaluated a wide variety of natural products for effectiveness against chronic fatigue syndrome. Most results have been disappointing. A few remedies — intramuscular magnesium for people with low red blood cell magnesium, a combination of fish oil and evening primrose oil, melatonin, NADH, propionyl-L-carnitine, and ribose — have shown encouraging results in preliminary studies. However, many of these promising early results failed to be confirmed by subsequent studies or the original studies were too small to be conclusive. At this time, there is insufficient evidence of benefit to recommend any specific dietary or herbal supplements as a treatment for chronic fatigue.

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