It may sometimes seem like grabbing a chocolate bar or an energy drink can quickly give you the energy you need, but despite marketing hype, energy is something that the body needs to make naturally. It cannot be 'bought' and consumed. In order to get the energy needed for everyday activities, you have to give your body the correct foods, so that it can turn them into fuel. This is a complex process, and having enough energy is important to make sure that your body is functioning at its best, so that it can do everything from thinking, to moving and digesting food. Without the essential vitamins and minerals needed to covert food into energy, your body simply doesn't work properly, making you feel out-of-sync, tired and sluggish. If you're struggling with tiredness and fatigue, it is likely that your energy levels have dropped to great lows. You might find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, or that you've run out of puff by 4pm.
There are many different factors that can affect how tired we feel during the day. Feeling sleepy during the day can be a sign that your body is missing key nutrients such as:
Let's take a look at some of the best vitamins for tiredness and fatigue.
Why do we feel tiredness and fatigue?
Having a bad night's sleep is often the most common reason for feeling fatigue or tiredness the next day. While this can often be quickly resolved, if you are feeling tired on a regular basis, there could be an underlying reason such as stress, a medical condition, or a poor sleeping environment with too much disruption. If you are struggling to sleep on a continued basis, you should consult your doctor for advice.
The most common reason:
Nutrition deficiencies are another common reason for persistent tiredness and fatigue, and they are more common than you think.
If your body isn't getting enough vitamins and minerals like iron, B Vitamins, magnesium or Vitamin C, you may start to notice this in your everyday energy levels.
25% of the global population for example suffers from anaemia, and an iron deficiency is the sole reason for half of all anaemia cases. Feeling excessively tired is the most common symptom of anaemia, but once diagnosed and iron tablets are given, this symptom typically improves.
Research has also suggested that 20% of people in the UK have a Vitamin B12 deficiency. This is especially the case in older adults, as the body's ability to absorb Vitamin B12 decreases with age. Vitamin B12 is vital for delivering oxygen around the body so that it can convert food to energy, so having low levels of this vitamin in your diet can cause tiredness. If you think you may be getting too little Vitamin B12 in your diet, speak to your doctor, as you may need a Vitamin B12 supplement.
Stress related tiredness and fatigue:
Stress is another cause of fatigue and can greatly reduce your quality of life. If you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, and this is affecting your energy levels, you may want to speak to your doctor, a therapist, or look to find different ways to manage stress, such as doing regular exercise, meditation, and practicing mindfulness. Although it is normal for everyone to experience stress at some point in their lives, chronic stress can lead to prolonged tiredness and fatigue because of inflammation in the brain, and even conditions such as stress-related exhaustion disorder. If you constantly feel tired and fatigued, you should speak to your doctor and tell them about your symptoms. They may recommend a multivitamin supplement, iron tablets, or may recommend tests to rule out underlying health conditions such as anxiety, kidney or heart disease, diabetes, thyroid conditions, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia.
How your diet affects tiredness and fatigue:
Having a healthy diet is important to ensure that your body performs at its best, and to keep your energy levels up. If you don't eat enough, or eat too many processed foods without enough nutrients, this can make you feel excessively tired. This is especially the case if you are not taking enough protein in your diet, as this can lead to muscle wastage and a loss of body fat, and can cause fatigue. If you are over 50, older adults are also at risk of nutritional deficiencies because of the way bodies change as we age. A diet that's too high in sugar or fat can also harm energy levels, as your blood sugar levels can be affected. If you have a dietary imbalance, you may want to consider taking vitamin or food supplements to ensure your body is getting what it needs. Below are some of the most common vitamins and minerals that you could be lacking in if you often feel tired.
A lack in these vitamins and minerals can cause tiredness and fatigue:
Vitamin B12:
Vitamin B12 is an important nutrient for maintaining a healthy immune system, nervous system and the creation of red blood cells. It helps our metabolism operation, and helps to convert carbohydrates, fats and proteins into energy. If you are vegan or vegetarian, it may be harder to get adequate amounts of Vitamin B12 in your diet, as it is most commonly found in animal-based products such as meat, cheese, eggs and dairy. Without sufficient Vitamin B12, our heart health can suffer, resulting in extreme tiredness and problems with brain function. B Vitamins are often one of the most recommended types of supplements to take for tiredness, so consult your doctor to see if you need a top-up in your diet. Foods that are high in Vitamin B12 include eggs, salmon, milk, leafy greens and grains.
We need iron in our bodies to make haemoglobin – a protein that enables oxygen to be carried around the body effectively, giving us energy. If you don't get enough iron in your diet, a lack of energy is one of the first things you might notice. Iron is also needed by the body to produce red blood cells. Because the body can't make iron by itself, it is very important that we get this in our diet. You can top up the iron in your diet by eating more red meat, liver, beans and greens like spinach, kale and chard. You can also purchase fortified cereals with iron in them. Another option is by taking an iron supplement, but you should consult your doctor first.
Studies have shown that magnesium supplements can help with sleep function and relaxation, and could be a way of treating the symptoms of insomnia. If you feel tired and fatigued all the time, you may be getting insufficient magnesium in your diet. And when you try to sleep, you may feel even more restless and unable to settle. A lack of magnesium intake can also cause a loss of appetite and general weakness in the body. Magnesium is a very important mineral in the diet, because it boosts muscle and nerve function, and helps our bodies turn food into energy. If we don't get the right amounts of magnesium, we can feel very tired. Foods high in magnesium include nuts, whole grains, dark greens like spinach and kale, fish, meat and some dairy products. If you aren't getting enough magnesium in your diet, and often feel fatigued, you could try a magnesium supplement.
Vitamin D is called the 'sunshine vitamin', because our bodies naturally produce it when we are exposed to the sun. During the winter time, when days are darker and shorter, levels of Vitamin D can take a drop in our system. This is why the NHS recommends taking a Vitamin D supplement in winter. If you don't get enough Vitamin D in your diet, you may experience symptoms such as feeling tired, aching joints, bone pain and muscle cramps. This is because the body needs Vitamin D to keep bones strong, maintain our energy levels, regulate mood, and to keep our immune system in check. If you are Vitamin D deficient, you may often feel like you need to have a nap in the middle of the day, as your energy is zapped. Between October and March, it is recommended to include Vitamin D supplements in your diet. You can also get more Vitamin D by eating foods such as oily fish like salmon, eggs, red meat, liver, mushrooms and cereals or grains that are fortified with Vitamin D.
The products offered are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness or disease, or to replace the advice of a medical professional. Results are not guaranteed and may vary from individual to individual.
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