I have had what my doctor best called CFS for probably 20 years. Bouts of fatigue weekly. Often what would set off an episode it to do some heavy aerobic exercise. A couple days later, I'd be all achy, very tired -- and not the normal aches and tiredness people get from exercise. This is like sick symptoms. Other than that, I've almost never felt totally normal in recent years. I've never been to the point where I was highly debilitated, though. Just pushing through life.
Anyhow, I recently discovered the apparent cause: eating raw vegetables in the Cabbage family, cruciferae. I read that they can interfere with thyroid function, so I thought I'd cut them out and see what happens. And after about a month, I have had no symptoms of CFS. Just for comparison, I have never had even a two week period in the last 10 years when I didn't have symptoms. I've always been a health nut, in part because of my CFS and have always eaten lots of raw vegetables. And generally have eaten raw broccoli and radished a few times a week.
I am now exercising usually twice a day, including brisk walks of 4-5 miles in evenings and even starting to run a mile or so mixed in. Previously if I exercised like this my CFS would have knocked me out. I'd be feeling really bad. No more. Very exciting news for me. Sad it's taken me so long to figure this out.
It sounds like you have an allergy. Have you tried eating them steamed, does it do the same thing? I can eat cooked veggies, but not raw. I have celiac disease and it makes it hard to digest raw. Have you been tested for Celiacs? If your thyroid is messed up, you could have it. Sjogrens (sp) is another one linked to CD as well.
Hi! I think that what you have shared is an important bit of information. A friend just told me about this very same thing. She is doing so much better by avoiding the raw cruciferous veggies and intaking those veggies that support thyroid function. Our thyroid levels can make such a difference in how we are doing. For me, being on thyroid supplementation has been the single most important factor in my being "better", although not perfectly better. I would recommend considering thyroid supplementation if your thyroid levels were , even if they here near showing a lack of thyroid hormoneeven if they were in the "normal"range. You can buy it online.
I don't feel I have an allergy. The symptoms don't strongly correlate to shortly after eating the vegetables, which would be the case for allergies. I will try later eating the Cabbage family vegetables cooked and see what happened. For the time being, I'm just thrilled to be feeling well, so have no immediate plans for this. I haven't been tested for either of those diseases you mention.
Vegetables from that family can have impacts on thyroid function, especially when eaten raw or in large ammounts they can lessen hormone production. Low thuroid is associated with fatigue and for me chronic fatigue. Unfortunatly my thyroid dosent seem to be linked to these foods which i guess is good because i love eating them. so happy you managed to solve your Chronic Fatigue