Can eating fish relieve chronic fatigue syndrome?
Fish oils are thought to play a beneficial role in many conditions that adversely affect the brain or nervous system, including depression, dyslexia and schizophrenia. Any link with ME is however largely anecdotal as no single remedy has yet proven consistently beneficial. Some practitioners do recommend eating more oily fish as part of a generally healthy diet however – largely because the omega-3 fats it contains are thought to ease muscle pain and aid brain sluggish function – two of the problems that often afflict ME sufferers. For most health purposes, having a couple of oily fish meals a week or taking two teaspoons of cod liver oil (stronger than the capsules) a day will be sufficient. You can take higher levels, but more than about 10g of fish oils a day can affect the ability of the blood to clot. Too much fish oil can also depress the immune system, so I wouldn’t eat more than double the amount you already are (two meals a week) unless you are being monitored by a health prof
