"I have never heard about the research that CFS actually causes organ and cell damage. Where did you see that at? "
I thought I’d answer this question someone asked me here as this could be educational and helpful to some with CFS.
In CFS there is a very real need to protect our bodies as much as possible from the damage happening. CFS specialists prescribe various supplements to help stop more damage from taking place, so to protect the one with CFS from getting more severe with new possibly even life threatening problems arising.
first I think an explaination is needed on free radicals.
Free radicals are unstable molecules which wreak havoc in our bodies by damaging DNA, altering biochemical compounds, corroding cell membranes and killing cells outright. This plays a major role in the development of ailments like cancer, heart or lung disease etc. The affects of free radicals build up over time, gradually damaging cells and ones body. These are responsible for deterioration of our bodies. All bodies… not just ones with CFS, in CFS thou this process is happening even faster…
Free radicals cause of chain of reaction where oxidation is taking place. (The damaged molecules by free radicals become free radical molecules themselves and go on and damage others… hence chain reaction in ones body of damage taking place). DNA which has been oxidized doesnt function properly and may even result in cancer. Damage to body parts can result from this.
Our immune systems produce free radicals whenever we are fighting off something. Our diets, aging, smoking, disease and strenuous exercise all produce free radicals in our body. (A CFSer doing anything which is an effort for them is increasing the free radicals as that is strenuous exercise. To an CFSer just brushing ones hair or taking a shower could be a strenuous exercise).
There are many studies which have been done but here is just one which is easy to understand for most, in which a comparison was done with compares oxidative damage in a control group, in an FM group and a CFS group.
It was found in this study (as other studies) that the CFS group suffered damage that the other two groups did not (including the FM group… FM isnt exactly the same as CFS… FM can lead to, become CFS but it isnt the same physiological state!! There is different things going on in the body to just having FM alone which many studies do show) .
"From these results we hypothesize that in CFS there is oxidative stress in muscle, which results in an increase in antioxidant defenses. Furthermore, in muscle membranes, fluidity and fatty acid composition are significantly different in specimens from CFS patients as compared to controls and to patients suffering from fibromyalgia. These data support an organic origin of CFS, in which muscle suffers oxidative damage.
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this study is at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=11118815&itool=iconabstr&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_docsum
i personally find that saying that FM is CFS exactly is like saying a small cancerous mole is systemic, life threatening cancer (yeah it could be, but in the current state of the development of the problem or features isnt the same). Yeah they are both cancer…but one affects many more different areas to the other. There is a shift which has taken place when FM becames CFS.
Ones with CFS have a problem with gluthionine in which it is depleted (there is a theory out there that gluthionine depletion could be the actual cause of CFS!).
Gluthionine is a powerful antioxident of the body which protects ones body against free radical damage. Hence the problem for the CFSer who is depleted in ones bodies powerful antioxident.
The only source as far as Im aware to get Gluthionine in ones body is via Whey (it needs to be a certain form for best results). Hence why CFS specialists will prescribe whey to protect the CFSer from damage.
I hope this post aids understanding more. Ive never heard of a FM person being seriously damaged by exercise…but have heard of many CFSers (far too many) being so and the scientific info coming out supports this. Hence my strong views… (everyone is welcome to their own thou 
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