One of the biggest myths about chronic fatigue is that it’s not real.
Ask any of the millions of people who have it and I’m sure they’ll be happy to explain to you just how real it is, but for many years doctors have struggled to pinpoint exactly what causes it.
So, even though it’s widely recognized as a condition, it’s usually seen as a “last resort” type of diagnosis from doctors.
It’s like after they’ve tried to blame your extreme exhaustion and low energy on anything and everything else and nothing sticks…
Maybe then the doctors will settle on chronic fatigue as the issue.
However, now research is showing that there may be real identifiable factors that can lead to this condition…it’s not just a psychological illness as many conventional doctors believe. “Getting more sleep” doesn’t fix it.
The Answer Is In Your DNA.
Professionals have already found a number of symptoms that have been linked to chronic fatigue, like deficiencies in iron, B12 or folate.
So, that means if you’re folate deficient, you might develop chronic fatigue?
Not so fast.
For example, you and your friend could both be folate deficient. Then, you both get a viral infection. But, only you go on to suffer from chronic fatigue. Why?
The answer lies in your genes. It could be that your friend had a well-functioning COMT gene, while you got stuck with the “bad” variants.
You see, the COMT gene is responsible for making an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters like dopamine, and if your COMT gene isn’t working well, the enzyme will be less active and you’ll end up with higher levels of dopamine.
According to research, people with chronic fatigue syndrome have elevated levels of these neurotransmitters like dopamine.
Too much dopamine leads to an overactive and potentially more stressed brain. When your cells power plants – the mitochondria – can keep up with the energy to serve the elevated dopamine, all is good. You’re like Elon Musk.
However, when your mitochondria can’t keep up, the brain may decide to shut down in certain ways, causing fatigue and low energy.
Folate is really important for those who carry a bad COMT variant, as it replenishes SAM-e, an essential chemical that “activates” COMT.
That’s why, in the example above, being folate deficient ended up so much worse for you than your friend.
And that’s also why knowing your genetic risks is so important. If you’d known about your COMT gene, you could have been addressing your issues at the source by increasing folate levels, and might have never ended up with chronic fatigue.
This is just one example of numerous genes and chemical interactions in our body that link to fatigue, and actions we can take to fight these little fires.
When it comes to chronic fatigue, there are 19 genes associated with this condition and we’ve analyzed them all in our brand new Chronic Fatigue DNA Report!
Once you’ve had your genes tested with our DNA kit (or upload a DNA file you already have), you’ll be able to check out your own report to see if your COMT gene OR the other genes are actually a problem for you and discover exactly what dietary, supplement or lifestyle changes you need to combat any “bad” genes that could be increasing your risks for fatigue.
If you’re feeling tired and fatigued all the time and can’t seem to keep up with life’s demands, it’s time to start checking which genes could be responsible for this.
More importantly, start the new year with a bang and learn the targeted steps that you need to take to optimize your health and claim your energy back!
