Efficacy and safety of a nutritional supplement based on vitamins, minerals, amino acids and plant extracts on a large population of older adults experiencing fatigue

Abstract

Objective: fatigue is one of the key symptoms of many health disorders. This prospective observational study aims to evaluate effect of a nutritional supplement on fatigue improvement in individuals older than 50 years. Methods: persons diagnosed by their general practitioners with fatigue, and agreeing to participate were advised to take a nutritional supplement (ApportAL®, Pharmanutra Spa, Pisa, IT) for 35 consecutive days: two sachets per day for the first 7 days, and one sachet per day thereafter. At recruitment (T0), as well as after 7 (T1) and 35 days (T2) of supplementation, all individuals completed 2 questionnaires to assess fatigue and quality of life. Results: four-hundred-fifty-eight individuals were recruited (63.5 % women), with an average age of 69 ± 10 years. An improvement of 46 % of the worst fatigue experienced and of 47.5 % in the interference score of fatigue was reported. Quality of life improved both for the physical (+29 %) and mental component (+77.4 %). A significant improvement was observed as early as after the first week of supplementation, increasing further over the remaining 4 weeks. Self-reported adverse events were mild, and the percentage of affected individuals decreased from 10.3 % at T1 to 8.5 % at T2. Conclusions: these findings showed the daily intake of a specially formulated supplement resulting in a progressive improvement of both fatigue and in individuals’ quality of life. ApportAL® can be considered a valuable and safe support for adult/elderly individual with chronic fatigue, allowing them to carry out the desired activities, cultivate their social relationships and thus live more satisfactorily.