Ever experienced a day when getting out of bed feels like a monumental feat, as if you've just run a marathon in your sleep? Or found yourself wondering why a good night's rest hasn't rejuvenated you the way it used to? 

If the mere thought of checking off your to-do list leaves you utterly drained, you might be familiar with the relentless and unwelcome companion that is chronic fatigue syndrome. But research is finding that the key to fighting back against these feelings of perpetual fatigue might just lie in the extract of a tiny plant known as ginseng.

Today we’re going to explore exactly what chronic fatigue is, some of the underlying imbalances that can potentially trigger these frustrating feelings of fatigue, and most importantly, how ginseng might be able to help. Let’s dive in. 

Fatigue Defined: What Does It Mean To Feel Fatigued?

Fatigue is a state of extreme tiredness or exhaustion – both physical and mental. It’s that bone-tired feeling that makes it challenging to concentrate on tasks, leaves your body feeling heavy, and even simple activities become arduous. This intense weariness makes completing even minor day-to-day tasks a monumental effort.

It’s not uncommon to experience feeling drained and in need of rest and recovery after a poor night of sleep, a particularly stressful situation, or after an intense workout. But sometimes an underlying imbalance can cause this fatigue to persist – leaving you feeling exhausted and depleted with no end in sight.

This phenomenon of unrelenting fatigue is known as chronic fatigue syndrome.

What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Chronic fatigue syndrome is exactly what it sounds like – fatigue that sticks around no matter how much rest you get. But this complex condition can come with some other unpleasant side effects including:¹

• Enlarged lymph nodes in your neck or armpits
• Extreme exhaustion lasting more than 24 hours after physical or mental exercise
• Fatigue
• Headaches of a new type, pattern, or severity
• Loss of memory or concentration
• Pain that moves from one joint to another without swelling or redness
• Sore throat
• Unexplained muscle pain
• Unrefreshing sleep

So what on earth could cause these feelings of debilitating exhaustion?

What Causes Chronic Fatigue?

Chronic fatigue syndrome is not necessarily a medical diagnosis in itself. Rather, it’s a label to identify a cluster of symptoms caused by an unidentified underlying condition. Some of these potential underlying imbalances include:^2,3,4,5

Lack Of Sufficient Sleep:

When you lay down to sleep at night, your body is hard at work. You see, during deep sleep, your cells engage in tasks like protein synthesis, cellular repair, and the release of growth hormones – all of which are vital for energy conservation and replenishment. Insufficient sleep compromises your body's ability to undergo these essential cellular repair and restoration processes – hindering your body’s capacity to restore energy reserves.

This can inevitably lead to feelings of fatigue, decreased alertness, and overall diminished vitality.

Nutrient Deficiencies:

The nutrients you consume quite literally serve as the building blocks for your cells. Your body relies on countless essential nutrients to play crucial roles as cofactors and catalysts in metabolic pathways. Insufficient intake of these nutrients hampers the body's ability to efficiently convert food into energy at the cellular level – leading to reduced energy reserves.  

A perfect example is ATP or adenosine triphosphate. This mighty molecule stores and transports energy within cells. Without adequate intake of key nutrients, your cells are unable to properly synthesize appropriate amounts of ATP – negatively impacting overall cellular energy production and contributing to feelings of fatigue and lethargy.

Chronic Stress:

Chronic stress triggers a sustained release of stress hormones like cortisol, which, over time, can disrupt your body's energy balance via a couple of different routes:

1. Prolonged exposure to high cortisol levels can lead to insulin resistance and impair the function of mitochondria – the powerhouses of your cells that are responsible for energy production
2. Chronic stress may cause inflammation at the cellular level – further taxing energy resources

These disruptions collectively contribute to a state of cellular fatigue – depleting energy reserves and resulting in persistent feelings of exhaustion and decreased resilience in the face of ongoing stressors.

Post-Viral Chronic Fatigue:

Post-viral chronic fatigue can occur after you contract a viral infection that your body cannot completely clear. You see, these invading viruses can sometimes remain dormant in your body – hiding out and evading your immune system.

But your body can still sense a looming threat – so your immune system essentially gets stuck in the “on” position. This continuous activation prevents your immune system from resting or resetting – leading to a state of perpetual energy depletion as the immune system demands substantial energy to operate. It’s this depletion and overactivation that can trigger feelings of chronic fatigue.

Post-viral chronic fatigue has been at an all-time high in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more, head over and check out my article Post-Viral Chronic Fatigue: A Fascinating Look at the Link to COVID-19.

Hidden Infections:

Viral infections aren't the only foreign invaders that can remain latent in your body and send your immune system into burn-out mode. Bacteria, parasites, and other microbes can create a vicious cycle of immune activation and overstimulation. And over time, these hidden infections consume copious amounts of energy and drain your body's energetic reserves. 

If left unaddressed, this can potentially lead to unrelenting fatigue and other mystery symptoms that often accompany chronic fatigue syndrome.

Histamine Overload and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome:

Histamine is a crucial compound that your body relies on for numerous processes – but most prominently in the immune response. Histamine is primarily contained within mast cells – immune cells that stand guard to alert your immune system of any imminent threats. When mast cells burst open and histamine is released it causes your capillaries to become more permeable – allowing white blood cells to more readily move throughout your tissues so they can target and attack foreign invaders.

But sometimes, your body can become overloaded with histamine. And this excessive influx of circulating histamine can result in the symptoms seen in chronic fatigue syndrome. Click here to learn more about histamine overload and malfunctioning mast cells.

Toxin Exposure:

Toxins permeate just about every nook and cranny of our modern-day environment. The chemicals in our air, heavy metals in our drinking water, hidden mold in our homes, and toxins in our personal care products are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our day-to-day exposure to toxins.

And it’s this cumulative exposure to health-disrupting toxins that can overwhelm your immune system and diminish your energy reserves – much in the same way that hidden infections do. To make matters worse, these toxins can trigger your mast cells and spark the release of histamine – further exacerbating the cycle of fatigue.

Fighting Fatigue: How Can I Cure Chronic Fatigue?

Addressing chronic fatigue requires digging deep and addressing the underlying issues that are sparking these feelings of exhaustion. That might look something like:

• Prioritizing quality sleep
• Managing stress
• Addressing any underlying infections or latent viruses
• Eating a well-rounded, nutrient-dense diet
• Strategic supplementation
• Healing your gut and rebalancing your microbiome
• Supporting and boosting your immune system
• Minimizing your toxic burden and enhancing detoxification

The underlying causes of chronic fatigue are often complex, multifactorial, and intricately interconnected. For that reason, incorporating many or all of the above strategies is crucial for restoring balance and addressing the root cause of chronic fatigue. But research is finding that there might just be another powerful way to help address chronic fatigue – a little plant extract known as ginseng.

Ginseng for Chronic Fatigue: How Does It Help?

Ginseng is a medicinal herb that has been used in Asian medicine to support overall energy and vitality for many years. And recent innovations in how this plant is grown and harvested have allowed researchers to extract particularly high doses of the bioactive components that make this plant so potent – a compound known as ginsenosides.

Ginsenosides have some remarkable impacts at the cellular level including:^6,7

• Adaptogenic properties: Ginsenosides are believed to have adaptogenic effects – helping cells better cope with stressors by modulating the release of stress hormones like cortisol and supporting overall resilience.
• Antioxidant activity: Ginsenosides exhibit antioxidant properties, scavenging free radicals and reducing oxidative stress at the cellular level, which is important for maintaining cellular health and preventing damage.
• Anti-inflammatory effects: Ginsenosides have been shown to possess anti-inflammatory properties – modulating cellular signaling pathways and reducing inflammation.
• Immune modulation: Ginsenosides can influence immune cell activity, enhancing the body's defense mechanisms and helping to support a more balanced immune response.
• Metabolic regulation: Ginsenosides can also play a role in metabolic processes, influencing cellular responses related to energy metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and glucose regulation.
• Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis balancing: Your HPA axis orchestrates your body's physiological and behavioral reactions to stressors. Ginsenosides can help soothe and balance this network – helping to establish a more balanced stress response.

It’s this combination of effects that allows ginseng extract to have such an impressive impact on the symptoms of chronic fatigue. Just take a peek at the results of a recently conducted study evaluating the impact of ginseng on chronic fatigue.

The Benefits Of Ginseng For Chronic Fatigue

Research has found that taking a daily supplement of ginseng extract can yield some impressive benefits for those grappling with chronic fatigue – with supplement-takers reporting:⁷

• Improved sleep quality
• Increased energy levels and stamina
• Heightened mental clarity
• Decreased pain and discomfort
• Significant improvement in overall quality of life

While more time and research are needed to truly determine the role that ginseng might play in the treatment of chronic fatigue, these results are indeed promising.

Looking For A Ginseng Supplement To Fight Your Fatigue?

Incorporating ginseng along with some other strategic fatigue-fighting supplements can absolutely give you an edge when it comes to addressing chronic fatigue. My Adrenal Boost supplement contains a concentrated dose of ginseng along with some other potent adaptogens (compounds that help the body regulate the production of various hormones and neurotransmitters) like eleuthero root, Ashwagandha, and Rhodiola.

These powerful botanical compounds are then fused with essential vitamins (like B vitamins and vitamin C) to help boost energy generation at the cellular level. By harnessing the power of ginseng and multiplying its effects with this synergistic blend of compounds, Adrenal Boost can help rejuvenate and reinvigorate your energy levels.

Click here to learn more about Adrenal Boost.

Are You Struggling With Chronic Fatigue?

If you’ve been wrestling with unrelenting fatigue that is hindering your ability to carry out daily activities or negatively impacting your life, it might be time to seek help. Chronic fatigue is the symptom of a deeper issue – and having the guidance and support of an experienced Integrative and Functional Medicine Doctor can make a world of difference when it comes to identifying and healing this root imbalance.

A Functional Medicine Doctor will help identify the underlying source contributing to your fatigue, come up with a comprehensive personalized lifestyle plan, and arm you with an arsenal of tools (like ginseng) to help shortcut your path to healing. They will guide you and hold your hand every step of the way. The Functional Medicine approach to health and healing is undoubtedly the secret to unlocking true healing (instead of simply masking symptoms) and creating the healthiest, happiest, most vibrant version of you.

Functional Medicine is nothing short of life-changing – especially if you’re grappling with a devastating condition like chronic fatigue. I believe so strongly in the power of Functional Medicine that I have dedicated my career to helping connect people just like you to this transformative root-cause approach to health. But I know that it can be overwhelming to know where to start.

Dr. Jill Health® – MCAS Bundle MCAS treatment involves identifying and avoiding triggers that exacerbate symptoms and here is what I recommend to help support and stabilize mast cells to manage symptoms.

So I created a special Resource Roadmap to help connect you to the most helpful resources and figure out the best place to start – and it’s yours for free. Click here to download your Resource Roadmap today and get started on the path to the very best version of you!

Resources:

1. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic
2. An Open-Label, Pilot Trial of HRG80™ Red Ginseng in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Post-Viral Fatigue – PMC (nih.gov)
3. Possible Causes | Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) | CDC
4. Chronic fatigue syndrome: oxidative stress and dietary modifications – PubMed (nih.gov)
5. Fibromyalgia Trial Shows Promise…For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Mast Cells and Ketiotifen in … | Phoenix Rising ME/CFS Forums
6. Effects of ginseng on stress-related depression, anxiety, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis – PubMed (nih.gov)
7. An Open-Label, Pilot Trial of HRG80™ Red Ginseng in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Post-Viral Fatigue – PMC (nih.gov)