Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction, or CFID, is sometimes referred to as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or CFS. CFID is a mysterious and debilitating disease. Its cause is unknown. Out of every 100,000 people, approximately 200 have CFID.

Diagnosing Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction

CFID is quite difficult to diagnose. Not only does it closely resemble many other diseases, but its symptoms can be somewhat vague. After all, fatigue is a common symptom of a vast number of ailments. Sufferers of CFID are often frustrated that others do not understand or appreciate the all-consuming nature of their level of fatigue.

Everyone has felt sluggish, foggy or lethargic at times, but CFID sufferers experience these symptoms to a profound degree, and for months or years on end. The disease impairs every aspect of life, from the mental to the physical. Naturally, many sufferers of CFID become deeply depressed as a result of their chronic fatigue and inability to focus. Certain supplements can help ease some of these symptoms.

In the past, CFID was considered primarily a woman's disease, but many scientists are taking a closer look at that assumption. One early study of CFID, which took place in four different cities, concluded that CFID sufferers were 85 percent female, and 98 percent Caucasian. The disease struck at an average age of 30, and struck predominantly wealthy, highly-educated individuals. However, these findings may have been swayed by the types of people who applied for the study in the first place. A later study, which took place in Seattle, Washington, found that only 59 percent of those affected by CFID were female. A study which took place in San Francisco found that blacks were more likely to have the disease than whites, in contrast to the four-city study.

People with CFID should also begin taking supplements to improve the health of their immune systems. Much evidence points to the powerful impact glutathione levels can have on the health of a person with CFID. Glutathione is a tripeptide that naturally occurs in every cell of the human body. In those who are sick, glutathione levels tend to be low. Oral glutathione supplements are not effective, because glutathione is digested and broken down in the stomach, meaning very little actually reaches the bloodstream. It's important to take a precursor or building block of glutathione, and the most important of these is cysteine. Cysteine is best supplied by bioactive undenatured whey proteins. People with CFID can benefit from undenatured whey proteins that raise their glutathione back up to a normal, healthy level.