Healthy, balanced diet

A healthy, balanced diet or healthy diet or balanced diet is universally recommended by nutritionists and doctors worldwide. There are a wide variety of different diets or dietary patterns that can provide a healthy, balanced diet.

Evidence
The most widely researched kind of diets, and the only kind of diet recommended for ME/CFS patients is a healthy, balanced diet. 

A healthy, balanced diet is one that meets the person's nutritional requirements, and can avoid malnutrition and dietary deficiencies that are known causes of fatigue, for example vitamin B12 or iron deficiencies. Many patients with ME/CFS are advised to take vitamin D supplements, particularly if they are housebound, since the main source of vitamin D is sunlight rather than food.

A healthy, balanced diet cannot cure ME/CFS since if symptoms may be the result of an inadequate diet then ME/CFS cannot be diagnosed. Medical tests are required in order to rule out nutritional issues before diagnosis, for example vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, liver and blood sugar level tests.

Costs and availability
Foods are widely available and relatively inexpensive. High quality guides to following a healthy,balanced diet are easily available and health professionals can also advise on them.

Learn more

 * Healthy diet - World Health Organization
 * Healthy eating - CDC
 * Eat Well guide - NHS
 * Balanced diet - Health Direct Australia
 * What is a healthy diet: recommended servings - American Heart Association