Grant, J E, Veldee, M S, Buchwald, D · Journal of the American Dietetic Association · 1996 · DOI
This study looked at what people with ME/CFS were eating and measured specific nutrients in their blood and body. Researchers compared the diets and nutrient levels of ME/CFS patients to see if there were any patterns or deficiencies that might be related to their illness. This was one of the first studies to systematically examine nutrition in ME/CFS patients.
Nutritional factors may contribute to symptom severity or disease pathophysiology in ME/CFS, making dietary assessment clinically relevant. This early investigation provides foundational data on whether nutrient deficiencies are prevalent in this population and whether targeted nutritional support might warrant further investigation.
This study does not prove that nutrient deficiencies cause ME/CFS or that nutritional supplementation will improve symptoms. As a cross-sectional snapshot, it cannot determine whether observed nutrient differences are a cause of illness, a consequence of reduced intake due to illness, or simply a correlation without causal significance.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Grant, J E, Veldee, M S, & Buchwald, D (1996). Analysis of dietary intake and selected nutrient concentrations in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-8223(96)00104-6
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-grant-1996-analysis-dietary,
author = {Grant, J E and Veldee, M S and Buchwald, D},
title = {Analysis of dietary intake and selected nutrient concentrations in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Journal of the American Dietetic Association},
year = {1996},
doi = {10.1016/S0002-8223(96)00104-6},
note = {PubMed: 8598441},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/grant-1996-analysis-dietary},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/grant-1996-analysis-dietary
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