Hobday, R A, Thomas, S, O'Donovan, A et al. · Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2008 · DOI
This study tested whether a low-sugar, low-yeast diet could reduce fatigue and improve quality of life in people with ME/CFS, based on the popular theory that an overgrowth of a yeast called Candida causes the condition. Over 24 weeks, some patients followed this restrictive diet while others received general healthy eating advice. The researchers found no significant difference between the two groups, and the strict diet was harder for people to stick to.
This study directly addresses a widely-promoted but poorly-validated theory linking Candida overgrowth to ME/CFS, providing evidence that may help patients avoid unnecessary dietary restrictions. It underscores the importance of rigorously testing popular alternative treatments, especially those with high compliance burden, before they become embedded in ME/CFS management.
This study does not prove that Candida overgrowth is unrelated to ME/CFS—it only shows that a low-sugar, low-yeast diet did not improve fatigue or quality of life compared to general healthy eating guidance. The high dropout rate, particularly in the LSLY group, means the study was underpowered to detect effects that may exist. It also does not address whether personalized dietary approaches or earlier intervention might yield different results.
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
Hobday, R A, Thomas, S, O'Donovan, A, Murphy, M, & Pinching, A J (2008). Dietary intervention in chronic fatigue syndrome.. Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-277X.2008.00857.x
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-hobday-2008-dietary-intervention,
author = {Hobday, R A and Thomas, S and O'Donovan, A and Murphy, M and Pinching, A J},
title = {Dietary intervention in chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1111/j.1365-277X.2008.00857.x},
note = {PubMed: 18339054},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/hobday-2008-dietary-intervention},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/hobday-2008-dietary-intervention
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