*Three British studies suggest that supplementation with E-EPA may
alleviate the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome.* There is evidence that there is an association between chronic fatigue
syndrome, a condition of unknown aetiology, and essential fatty acids,
says Professor Basant K. Puri. This evidence is based on the actions of
essential fatty acids, the results of proton neurospectroscopy studies,
and essential fatty acid trial data. A series of patients with chronic
fatigue syndrome were treated solely with a high-eicosapentaenoic
acid-containing essential fatty acid supplement (E-EPA). All showed
improvement in their symptomatology within eight to 12 weeks. These
results, which are consistent with a recent detailed report of cerebral
and clinical changes associated with a high intake of eicosapentaenoic
acid, suggest that this highly unsaturated omega-3 fatty acid may offer
the hope of effective treatment for at least some patients with chronic
fatigue syndrome. Puri BK. The use of eicosapentaenoic acid in the treatment of chronic
fatigue syndrome. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2004
Apr;70(4):399-401. The psychiatrists, lead by Professor Basant K. Puri, at Hammersmith
University Hospital London, tested the hypothesis that chronic fatigue
syndrome (CFS) is associated with altered cerebral metabolites in the
frontal and occipital cortices. Cerebral proton magnetic resonance
spectroscopy (1H MRS) was carried out in eight CFS patients and eight
age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Spectra were obtained
from 20 x 20 x 20 mm3 voxels in the dominant motor and occipital
cortices using a point-resolved spectroscopy pulse sequence.
The mean ratio of choline (Cho) to creatine (Cr) in the occipital cortex
in CFS (0.97) was significantly higher than in the controls (0.76;
P=0.008). No other metabolite ratios were significantly different
between the two groups in either the frontal or occipital cortex. In
addition, there was a loss of the normal spatial variation of Cho in CFS.
Our results suggest that there may be an abnormality of phospholipid
metabolism in the brain in CFS, the authors write. Puri BK, Counsell SJ, Zaman R. Relative increase in choline in the
occipital cortex in chronic fatigue syndrome. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2002
Sep;106(3):224-6. Lateral ventricular enlargement has been reported in chronic fatigue
syndrome, while cerebral neurospectroscopy has recently indicated that
essential fatty acid treatment may be of value in this condition. An
essential fatty acid supplement rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (E-EPA)
was therefore given daily to a female patient with a 6-year history of
unremitting symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. Cerebral magnetic
resonance scanning was carried out at baseline and 16 weeks later. The
EPA-rich essential fatty acid supplementation led to a marked clinical
improvement in her symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, starting within
6–8 weeks. Accurate quantification of the lateral ventricular volumes in
the baseline and 16-week follow-up registered images of high-resolution
magnetic resonance imaging structural scans showed that the treatment
was accompanied by a marked reduction in the lateral ventricular volume
during this period, from 28 940–23 660 mm^3 . Puri BK, Holmes J, Hamilton G. Eicosapentaenoic acid-rich essential
fatty acid supplementation in chronic fatigue syndrome associated with
symptom remission and structural brain changes. Int J Clin Pract. 2004
Mar;58(3):297-9. | 
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