Philosophical Vegan Forum

For biological reasons that are unknown to me, I am a 27 years old male plagued with chronic fatigue, of which I only get some (illusionary) relief by ingesting the Methylxanthine class of drugs (Caffeine, Theobromine, tutti quanti) or taking a copious amount of naps during the day. No doctors have been able to help me so far, refusing to consider anything other than a "mental and/or psychological disorder".

I was eating previously a meat-based diet, and now have been Vegan for the better part of the last 12 months, still my health is practically identical, by which I mean terrible. Several food items seems to elicit a negative response in my system, with increasing fatigue, skin infections, amplified drowsiness, bouts of irrational depression and so forth.

I have experimented several time with Apples and Bananas, for instance, and the end result is always minor stomach aches, increased fatigue and a course of acne/cysts. Similar business with Wheat, Corn (+ other grains), Potato, Cacao, Legumes, and possibly Onions (still need to do a proper trial.) Fruit eating in general have been put on hold until I can stabilize my health, by precaution. On the other hand, I haven't noticed any symptoms with Cruciferous Vegetables, Sweet Potato, Carrots, Rutabaga, Beets, Greens and the like.

I've stumbled upon different theories and assertions to explain negative response to certain foods listed previously, but nothing seems conclusive enough to help me tailor a restorative diet that would definitely makes me feel alive again.

If anyone can provide some pointers, I'd be incredibly grateful. In the meantime, I will continue eating the foods that don't appear to irks my broken immune system.

Hi Ramza,

Ramza_Beoulve wrote:For biological reasons that are unknown to me, I am a 27 years old male plagued with chronic fatigue, of which I only get some (illusionary) relief by ingesting the Methylxanthine class of drugs (Caffeine, Theobromine, tutti quanti) or taking a copious amount of naps during the day. No doctors have been able to help me so far, refusing to consider anything other than a "mental and/or psychological disorder".

Chronic fatigue is a difficult issue. It could even be something involving mitochondria. There's no 100% guarantee, but it sounds like you're doing your best to experiment.

Ramza_Beoulve wrote:I was eating previously a meat-based diet, and now have been Vegan for the better part of the last 12 months, still my health is practically identical, by which I mean terrible. Several food items seems to elicit a negative response in my system, with increasing fatigue, skin infections, amplified drowsiness, bouts of irrational depression and so forth.

I'm glad you've switched to a vegan diet. Even if your short term health hasn't changed, there are long term benefits (like to preventing heart disease, and likely reducing risk of certain cancers), and of course there are benefits to the environment and ethics.

Sorry to hear about your ongoing health problems. Some of these things may be treatable.

Have you seen a dermatologist for acne medication, and a psychiatrist for trying out antidepressants?
Depression can be triggered by skin conditions, and fatigue can be triggered by depression (whatever it is triggered by).

If your doctors think it's psychological, it's at least worth trying something to address possible chemical imbalances.
Yes, it could be your muscles or energy production, but it could be an issue with brain chemistry too.

Ramza_Beoulve wrote:I have experimented several time with Apples and Bananas, for instance, and the end result is always minor stomach aches, increased fatigue and a course of acne/cysts.

There's no reason to follow a fruit based diet, it's mostly sugar and a low nutrient density. I wouldn't worry about not eating those.

Ramza_Beoulve wrote:Similar business with Wheat, Corn (+ other grains), Potato, Cacao, Legumes, and possibly Onions (still need to do a proper trial.)

What legumes have you tried?

Ramza_Beoulve wrote:On the other hand, I haven't noticed any symptoms with Cruciferous Vegetables, Sweet Potato, Carrots, Rutabaga, Beets, Greens and the like.

That's good. Those are healthy foods. As long as you eat enough greens you can get enough protein and other nutrients.
Have you been eating any nuts or fatty seeds? You didn't mention those.
Omega 3 is important, and can be found in hemp, chia, flax, walnuts, or canola oil.

Have you or are you taking a multivitamin?
It could be that you have poor digestion.
You may also want to experiment with probiotics, digestive enzymes, and particularly making soups with a powerful blender which can help with digestion by breaking down food so you can absorb the nutrients.

This is all just speculation, but there's a lot you can experiment with to see if it will make you feel better.

Ramza_Beoulve wrote:In the meantime, I will continue eating the foods that don't appear to irks my broken immune system.

Have you consulted with an immunologist?