This article reports the results of a within-subject design. Fifty subjects with a physician diagnosis of fibromyalgia (FM)
and/or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) were interviewed using a structured interview form. Each subject was interviewed initially,
and again nine months later (follow-up). Subjects had, on their own, consumed nutritional supplements including freeze-dried
aloe vera gel extract; a combination of freeze-dried aloe vera gel extract and additional plant-derived saccharides; freeze-dried
fruits and vegetables in combination with the saccharides; and a formulation of dioscorea complex containing the saccharides
and a vitamin/mineral complex. With medical treatments, approximately 25 percent of FM patients improved, but the beneficial
effects of medical treatment rarely persist more than a few months. All subjects in this study had received some form of medical
treatment prior to taking the nutritional supplements, but none with enduring success. Nutritional supplements resulted in
a remarkable reduction in initial symptom severity, with continued improvement in the period between initial assessment and
the follow-up. Further research is needed to verify these results, specifically crossover designs in well-defined populations.