Treating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): Glutathione and the Methylation Cycle
Rich Van Konynenburg, Ph.d., an independent researcher, believes glutathione depletion causes many of the problems in ME/CFS.
Glutathione is the master anti-oxidant in the body. Besides being involved in scavenging free radicals and degrading a wide variety of toxins glutathione plays a role in amino acid transport, protein synthesis, the cell cycle and immune cell proliferation.
These papers by Rich Van Konynenburg examine ways to enhance glutathione, detoxification and energy production in ME/CFS. (For the underpinnings of Rich’s theory see the Research Section)
- Is Glutathione Depletion an Important Part of the Pathogenesis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? (2004) Rich’s original paper in which he describes why he believed glutathione depletion plays a central role in ME/CFS (largely superseded by the 2007 IACFS/ME Conference paper)
- Glutathione Depletion-Methylation Cycle Block: A Hypothesis For the Pathogenesis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (2007) This paper was presented at the 2007 IACFS/ME Conference
- Glutathione Depletion in Autism and the Spin-off for CFS (2005) An article compiled by Cort Johnson from several posts Rich made on CFSResearch and CFSExperimental in April, 2005, with Rich’s kind permission to re-organize and post them
- A Simplified Treatment Approach Based on the Glutathione Depletion-Methylation Cycle Block Pathogenesis Hypothesis for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) Part I: Theory and History (July 2007) An account of how the hypothesis came about, what it is, why the Yasko-Autism connection fit, and why Rich believed it pertained to ME/CFS
- Why is the Prevalence of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Higher in Women Than in Men? (2007) An examination of how the glutathione/methylation hypothesis relates to the higher prevalence of ME/CFS in women
- A Simple Explanation of the Glutathione/Methylation Depletion Theory of ME/CFS (Dec 2008) A simpler, step-by-step explanation of Rich’s theory
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Autism (date unknown) An exploration of the possible connections between CFS and autism
- Methylation and Glutathione, Keys to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (2008) Rich’s Powerpoint presentation to the 2008 Orthomolecular Health Medicine Society