Vegetarian diets and glutathione depletion

[Guest guest]

I respect the views of people who prefer not to eat meat, and I also believe

that there are several subsets of PWCs, so that the same things don't apply to

everyone.

However, I, too, have noticed the large number of PWCs who were vegetarians

prior to their onset of CFS. It is a fact that animal-based proteins (milk,

eggs, and meat) are higher in the sulfur-based amino acids than are plant-based

proteins. It is also a fact that sulfur-containing amino acids are needed to

make glutathione. It is also a fact that glutathione depletion has been

observed in many PWCs.

It is my opinion that the root cause of CFS for the largest subset of PWCs was

glutathione depletion (together with increased cortisol secretion), brought on

by a combination of stressors, often combined with a diet low in sulfur-based

amino acids.

Particularly interesting in this context are the PWCs who combined a vegetarian

diet with heavy aerobic exercise. The latter is known to produce large

quantities of oxidizing free radicals. Without a sufficient capacity to make

glutathione, which serves as the basis of the body's antioxidant system, I

believe that the stage was set for the inevitable onset of CFS.

Once glutathione depletion has brought on CFS, there appear to be some vicious

circle mechanisms that make it very difficult to climb back out. One of these

may be due to the entrenched infections that are allowed to occur when

glutathione is depleted. Another may be due to the accumulation of heavy metals

such as mercury, that occurs in the absence of sufficient glutathione to carry

them out. My focus now is on trying to understand these vicious circle

mechanisms and on how to interrupt them.

Rich