Nutrients help post-Covid and in hemodialysis
Amino acids, vitamins B1, B6, improve post-Covid fatigue
Symptoms can persist long after recovering from Covid. In this study, 66 people who had recovered from Covid but who continued to have fatigue took a daily supplement containing 10 amino acids, vitamins B1 and B6, plus malic, succinic, and citric acids, or took no treatment.
The amino acids were cysteine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
After eight weeks, compared to the non-treatment group, those taking the nutrient supplement had significant improvement in skeletal muscle mass index scores, increased handgrip strength, better performance in a one-minute sit-stand chair test, and in a six-minute walking test.
Reference: Nutrients; 2022, Vol. 14, No. 11, 2316
Vitamin K2 reduced muscle cramps in hemodialysis
During hemodialysis, up to 78 percent experience muscle cramps due to rapid or excessive fluid removal, low blood pressure, or electrolyte imbalances. In this study, 41 people on hemodialysis with muscle cramps took a placebo or 369 mcg of vitamin K2 per day for eight weeks. The study paused for two weeks, then the two groups switched vitamin K2 and placebo.
During the vitamin K2 phases, muscle cramping was less frequent and less severe. During the placebo phases, including the group that had taken vitamin K2 first, cramping increased. Vitamin K2 was well tolerated, with no serious side effects.
There is no prior evidence-based prevention or treatment for muscle cramps, and this pilot study is the first to demonstrate vitamin K2 can decrease the frequency, duration, and severity of cramps in hemodialysis.
Reference: Nutrition; 2022, 111608, Published Online
