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  • Fatigue links to nutrient gaps: Tiredness often signals vitamin/mineral deficiencies affecting energy production
  • Key nutrients boost energy: B vitamins, iron, magnesium, CoQ10, and vitamin C are vital for energy.
  • Diet impacts energy levels: Nutrient-rich foods support metabolism and fight chronic tiredness.

 

Learn what the 10 best vitamins for tiredness are and why they can help improve your energy levels.

The top 10 vitamins for tiredness and why they work

One of the human body’s most basic functions is to produce energy from the food that we eat. It’s essential for our survival. And yet for so many of us it can feel somewhat elusive. With 13% of us in the UK reporting that we feel tired all of the time, and 25% of us feeling tired most of the time, according to government data 1, fatigue appears to be something of a modern epidemic. So what is going wrong?

It’s normal to feel tired sometimes, but if you’re tired all of the time it could be a sign of a problem. Chronic tiredness can impact every aspect of our lives – affecting our work, our personal lives, how much time we’re able to spend with family, and even the amount of mental energy we have to dedicate to the things that we love doing.

There are a number of lifestyle factors that might come into play. Poor sleep habits, illness, lack of motivation, excess alcohol consumption, sedentary lifestyle, may all contribute to feelings of tiredness and fatigue, but one of the most important factors to consider is poor nutrition – a lack of the basic nutrients the body needs for its biochemical processes to work in the way that they should.

The good news is that by addressing these lifestyle factors and improving the quality of fuel that we put into our bodies, we can make a significant impact on our body’s ability to produce energy. So if you’re feeling a little lacklustre and needing a bit of an energy boost, you might be wondering what the best vitamins for tiredness might be.

What is energy and where do we get it from?

So let’s take it back to basics. Energy is produced in the body by a process called metabolism. This involves the breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates from our diet into energy. This process occurs inside the mitochondria, the “powerhouse” of the cell, and occurs inside every cell in the body.

Once produced, energy is stored as ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the primary energy currency of our cells. Energy is then released as needed for all sorts of body processes, including movement, tissue growth and repair, and nerve impulse transmission.

The entire process of energy production, storage and release requires micronutrients (or co-factor nutrients) to make it happen. If for any reason any part of this process is disrupted, malfunctions or is simply ineffective, we can feel tired, sluggish and fatigued both physically and mentally.

The 10 best vitamins for tiredness and lack of energy

Low energy is often one of the first noticeable signs that we lack certain nutrients in our diet. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies take a long time to produce overt symptoms, so if you start to notice a pattern of low energy levels over an extended period of time, it’s a good indicator that you may be deficient, and you might want to start looking at vitamins to boost energy. So what are the 10 best vitamins for tiredness?

Vitamin B1 (thiamin)

Your body needs vitamin B1 to make ATP and is considered an important co-factor nutrient for the production of energy. Part of the important B complex of vitamins, thiamine occurs naturally in foods such as brown rice, whole grains, pork, poultry, beans, lentils, eggs and fish, and is also available in some fortified or enriched grain products such as bread or cereal. As a water-soluble vitamin, thiamine is not generally stored in the body, and so needs to be obtained regularly from the diet.

Best forms: thiamin HCl, thiamin mononitrate.

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)

Riboflavin is another vitamin that plays a vital role in the process of converting food into usable energy within the body. Also part of the B complex of vitamins, riboflavin occurs in eggs, lean beef, pork, organ meats, chicken breast, milk, yoghurt, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, whole grains, brewer’s yeast and almonds, as well as fortified cereals. Like thiamine, riboflavin is water soluble and not generally stored in the body, and so needs to be obtained regularly from the diet.

Best forms: riboflavin.

Vitamin B3 (niacin)

Niacin is another water-soluble B vitamin that helps the body turn food into energy. It acts as a key component of a number of coenzymes involved in the complex conversion of food into usable energy (ATP) within the body. Niacin needs to be obtained regularly from the diet and can be found in many foods including beef, chicken pork, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains, as well as fortified cereals

Best forms: niacinamide (non-flushing form) or nicotinic acid (flushing form).

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)

Pantothenic acid also helps with energy production inside the mitochondria, and can be found in beef, chicken, organ meats, broccoli, sweet potatoes, lentils, soybeans, eggs, milk, yoghurt and whole grains. To get enough vitamin B5, you should eat a variety of foods from these groups on a daily basis.

Best forms: calcium pantothenate.

Iron

Interestingly the number one cause of low energy and fatigue is not a vitamin but a mineral deficiency. Iron is an essential component of haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body. Without sufficient iron, your body can’t transport enough oxygen to your cells, leading to fatigue and low energy levels. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), it’s estimated that 3% of men and 8% of women have iron deficiency anaemia in the UK.2

Food sources of iron include red meat, shellfish, liver and other organ meats, spinach, broccoli and dried apricots. Iron is an important mineral that must be consumed regularly to meet daily requirements, however excessive amounts can be damaging to the body and should be avoided.

Best forms: iron bisglycinate, iron fumarate.

Magnesium

Another mineral, magnesium’s role in energy support should not be underestimated. Among its many functions in the body, magnesium helps to activate ATP, the high energy storage molecule that fuels most activity. This magnificent mineral also functions as an electrolyte, which helps to support hydration levels in the body; dehydration being another major cause of fatigue. Magnesium can also help to support balanced energy levels throughout the day by helping to regulate blood sugar levels, meaning we’re less likely to experience those annoying dips in energy throughout the day.

In order to give our bodies the best possible chance of functioning optimally, it’s important to include foods high in magnesium in your daily diet. Magnesium can be found in spinach, wholegrains, Swiss chard, nuts, seeds, avocado, beans, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa and oily fish, all of which can be easily incorporated into a weekly meal planner.

Best forms: magnesium bisglycinate, magnesium glycerophosphate.

Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin)

Vitamin B12 is another of the B vitamin family that helps the body convert the food we eat into energy. Low levels of B12 can impair the energy production process, leading to reduced energy and symptoms like fatigue and weakness.

Vitamin B12 is also needed to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. Low levels of B12 can cause a condition known as pernicious anaemia, where the body’s tissues and organs don’t get enough oxygen, causing extreme tiredness and fatigue.

Vitamin B12 can be found mainly in animal products including beef, liver, chicken, fish, shellfish, eggs and dairy products. Breakfast cereals and bread are often fortified with vitamin B12.

Best forms: methylcobalamin, adenosylcobalamin.

Folate (vitamin B9)

Folate is crucial for the production of healthy red blood cells, and insufficient levels of this important nutrient can lead to folate deficiency anaemia, where the body produces abnormally large red blood cells that are unable to carry oxygen round the body efficiently causing extreme fatigue. A folate deficiency can occur due to a diet lacking in folate-rich foods like leafy green vegetables, legumes, and fortified cereals, or issues with absorption of folate in the body.

Best forms: 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, also known as 5-MTHF.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C plays an important role in the energy production cycle in the cell and our bodies need regular amounts to convert the food and drink we consume into energy. Because we use up lots of vitamin C during times of stress and illness, it’s important to make sure we’re getting enough on a daily basis. Vitamin C is also crucial for the absorption of iron in our diet too.

Best forms: ascorbic acid, magnesium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate.

CoQ10

CoQ10 is a fat-soluble, vitamin-like substance found naturally in meat, fish and nuts. It has long been known as an energy support nutrient as it plays a crucial role in energy production and transport, as well as being an important antioxidant for protecting our mitochondria.

Our levels of CoQ10 naturally decline as we get older, and commonly prescribed drugs, such as statins, have a further negative impact, so it’s important to consider this important nutrient when looking for vitamins to boost energy levels.

Best forms: ubiquinone.

References:
1. YouGov survey - https://yougov.co.uk/society/articles/40047-one-eight-britons-feel-tired-all-time
2. NICE data - https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/anaemia-iron-deficiency/background-information/prevalence/

 

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