80% have correctable deficiencies.
Lyme disease symptoms and nutritional deficiency symptoms overlap extensively. Many patients diagnosed with chronic Lyme may actually be suffering from correctable nutritional deficiencies, or their symptoms may be significantly worsened by nutrient depletion.
Chronic Lyme patients positive for KPU
Vitamin D receptor reduction from Borrelia
Children with ADHD in iodine-deficient areas
The relationship appears bidirectional: the infection depletes nutrients through multiple mechanisms including direct bacterial effects, chronic inflammation, and disrupted absorption - while pre-existing deficiencies may increase susceptibility to infection and worsen disease outcomes.
Neurological symptoms are nearly indistinguishable.
Peripheral Neuropathy
The numbness, tingling, and burning sensations that plague Lyme patients occur with deficiencies in vitamins B1, B6, B12, copper, and chromium.
Brain Fog
The famous "brain fog" of Lyme disease matches precisely with symptoms from B12, magnesium, selenium, and molybdenum deficiencies.
Memory & Cognitive Dysfunction
Hallmarks of neurological Lyme appear in deficiencies of B1, B3, B9, B12, manganese, copper, and selenium.
Psychiatric Symptoms
Severe depression, anxiety, irritability, and even hallucinations reported by Lyme patients mirror deficiencies in B vitamins, magnesium, iron, zinc, and selenium.
Musculoskeletal complaints reveal mineral patterns.
Muscle Cramps & Spasms
Magnesium deficiency produces identical symptoms to Lyme - painful cramps that wake patients at night, chronic weakness, and "heavy, achy muscles that feel full of lead."
Migratory Joint Pain
The characteristic joint pain of Lyme appears in manganese deficiency, while chronic arthritis mirrors selenium deficiency's Kashin-Beck disease.
Connective Tissue Problems
Copper deficiency causes identical collagen formation problems and joint deformities. Manganese deficiency produces bone demineralization seen in long-term Lyme patients.
The kryptopyrroluria connection.
The discovery that 80% of chronic Lyme patients test positive for kryptopyrroluria (KPU) represents a major breakthrough.
KPU causes excessive urinary loss of zinc, B6, biotin, and manganese - explaining why these patients develop multiple deficiency symptoms despite adequate dietary intake. This single finding could explain many "mysterious" chronic Lyme symptoms.
Direct Bacterial Effects
Borrelia burgdorferi reduces vitamin D receptor expression by 50-80%, explaining universal vitamin D deficiency in chronic Lyme patients.
Antioxidant Depletion
Vitamin C and E levels drop significantly in Lyme patients while the infection's oxidative stress exhausts selenium and other antioxidant minerals.
Vitamin A & Severity
Clinical evidence shows vitamin A deficiency predisposes to severe inflammatory responses in Lyme arthritis, with deficient mice developing acute arthritis earlier and more severely.
Overlooked trace minerals play crucial roles.
Molybdenum
Causes severe fatigue, tachycardia, confusion, disorientation, peripheral neuropathy, and headaches - all classic Lyme symptoms.
Manganese
Produces skeletal problems, joint pain, ataxia, seizures, cognitive decline, and mood instability - matching Lyme presentations.
Copper
Copper deficiency's myeloneuropathy so closely mimics B12 deficiency that it's often misdiagnosed - and both can be mistaken for neurological Lyme.
Iron
Iron deficiency paradoxically increases infection risk through compromised immune response, with studies showing increased susceptibility.
Address both infection and deficiencies.
Many patients with "chronic Lyme" symptoms may have correctable nutritional deficiencies, while confirmed Lyme patients likely suffer from infection-induced nutrient depletion that perpetuates symptoms. Comprehensive nutritional assessment - including testing for KPU, RBC mineral levels, and functional vitamin status - could identify correctable deficiencies that either mimic or exacerbate Lyme symptoms.