– Carina Harkin BHSc.Nat, BHSc.Hom, BHSc.Acu.
Our cars are not the only things that are hard to start. Some mornings it takes a while to get the body moving. There are many reasons why we may feel tired. It is important, as always, to see your GP to eliminate any underlying disease. Sometimes however, there seems to be no explanation as to why our energy levels are low. Causes of fatigue that can be treated by natural medicine are poor digestion and absorption e.g. in Crohn’s disease, coeliac disease, bowel flora imbalance, infections, adrenal exhaustion, blood sugar and hormonal imbalance. Complementary medicine can illuminate the cause and bring back that old spark.
Sleep
Fatigue is a common reason for a visit to a complementary medicine practitioner. The most common cause has to be lack of sleep. Humans should sleep for at least 8 hours a night. Imagine that. We spend 1/3 of our lives in bed! Best make sure to invest in a good mattress and pillow to promote a good nights sleep.
For those insomniacs out there, there is non-pharmacological help at hand. Herbalists will use a mix of valerian, passionflower and hops to induce sleep. Unlike medications for insomnia, these are non-addictive. A Bach flower essence called White Chestnut can address those persistent worrying thoughts that keep us awake.
Mitochondria- our living powerhouse of energy
Inside all our cells are little organs of the cell called organelles. One of these is called the mitochondria. The mitochondria are referred to as the powerhouse of the cell. It is inside these mitochondria that energy is stored and produced. Energy is stored as something called ATP adenosine triphosphate. Sorry to get technical, but the reason for feeling tired, may well be because these mitochondria are not functioning properly. ATP is broken down to fuel metabolic reactions, transport molecules between cells so they may communicate and produce movement. Fatigue can result from problems with ATP.
CoQ10 and energy production
The mitochondria cannot function properly without the right nutrients. This can be because of poor diet or inadequate absorption. Indeed certain drugs can inhibit nutrients required for mitochondrial function, the most common drugs being cholesterol-lowering medications. They do this by inhibiting the absorption of fats. An unfortunate side effect is that this interferes with the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients, most importantly in this case, ubiquinone, also called CoQ10.
CoQ10 is involved in the production of ATP and energy. Deficiency of CoQ10 will result in not only fatigue, but can be associated with heart disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), mouth disease, infertility, aids and cancer. Quite simply, you can recharge your battery with CoQ10. Dietary sources are sardines, mackerel, beef, walnuts and pistachios, spinach and broccoli. Other essential nutrients for mitochondrial energy production are vitamins B2, B3, K, folic acid (B9), and magnesium.
Iron
Iron is the first mineral to think of when you feel tired, especially if you are a woman. Anaemia or low iron is not exclusively a woman’s problem as the elderly, men and children may also have it. In Chinese medicine anaemia is called blood deficiency and can lead to fatigue, palpitations and insomnia.
Iron is involved in haemoglobin or red blood cell production. The red blood cells carry oxygen around our bodies where it is used in all cellular reactions and the production of ATP in the mitochondria. Ask your doctor for an iron test. It is important to get both your haemoglobin and ferritin levels checked. Haemoglobin is circulating iron and ferritin is stored iron in the liver. Good vegetarian iron sources are parsley and green leafy vegetables, free-range eggs, tofu, beetroot, tomatoes, strawberries, apricots and figs, grape and prune juice. A great iron tonic is Floradix.
Balance the blood sugar
Carbohydrates in our diet are broken down to glucose for fuel. Many people experience a dip in energy typically at 11am and 4pm. These are the most common times to top up on a quick fix such as chocolate. This dip in energy indicates blood sugar imbalance. If hungry, you have already allowed yourself to run out of fuel. This is called low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. Eat porridge oats or barley flakes for breakfast and snack on rice crackers with avocado and hummus or a mix of pumpkin and sunflower seeds with almonds and dried figs every three to four hours to balance the blood sugar and regulate energy levels.
The hormone insulin is involved with the breakdown of glucose and regulating energy. We dont make insulin out of thin air. The body needs many nutrients to make insulin. The most important vitamins are the B group. The main minerals involved are zinc and chromium. Chromium will help starve off sugar cravings and stabilise the energy during the normally low times. Youll be surprised! Try a 200ug 3 times daily.
Tonify the adrenal glands
The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and produce the stimulating hormone adrenalin. Like all things, the body also requires nutrients to make adrenalin. Sometimes the body can run out of nutrients to make adrenalin and this can result in symptoms such as fatigue, sweaty palms and feet and night sweats. Adrenalin is made from the amino acid, tyrosine and vitamins B5 and vitamin C. This trio is particular useful to treat tiredness with hand sweats.
Overgrowth of Candida
Bowel flora imbalance can lead to tiredness. Candida albicans is yeast that can overtake healthy bacteria. The organism produces toxins that overload the liver and result in fatigue. Symptoms of Candida overgrowth are fatigue, feeling foggy, nausea, bloating, thrush, jock itch, tinea, and any fungal infection including of the nails. These symptoms are aggravated by white wine, beer and other foods containing yeast and sugar, in particular bread. Zinc deficiency can lead to chronic yeast infections. Zinc stimulates the production of stomach acid that, in itself, is anti-fungal. Treatment involves eliminating the bad bacteria, and creating a healthy internal environment where bad bacteria don’t thrive. A naturopath will prescribe gut-antimicrobials such as capryllic acid, golden seal or oregano oil to kill the bad bacteria, in conjunction with increasing the good bacteria with an acidophilus/bifidus supplement.
If you’re on medication please consult your doctor before taking any supplement or herbal medicine.
