We all strive to get the most out of our days. For some that means waking up at four in the morning and going on a five mile run, while others may prioritize academic research and drafting potential breakthrough papers in their respective fields. Though those are wildly different activities, they both require willpower and energy to accomplish. This is where the obstacles begin.
Nobody has an infinite reserve of energy tucked away inside of their body to fall back on in an emergency. We all come with a limited amount, which is directly determined by day-to-day factors like sleep, exercise, and diet. Building up your energy reservoir requires tending to your health and making positive changes to your daily habits.
Supplements can help, too. Ensuring you get the daily recommended amount of essential vitamins is a brilliant way to increase your energy supply and improve feelings of lethargy and fatigue. Not all lifestyles allow for this to be easy, so when you can’t incorporate the proper nutrients into your diet, it’s time to give supplements a go.
Just one pill a day has potential to improve your daily energy and leave you feeling revitalized. Let’s take a closer look at the daily vitamins you may want to consider trying to boost your energy. We will discuss the following topics:
- Reasons you could be dealing with low/reduced energy levels
- Why your diet is directly linked to how much energy you have
- Recommended daily vitamins to improve your energy
Possible Reasons You’re Dealing with Low Energy
If you stay up all night trying to get caught up on the latest series or if you spend your entire day doing strenuous physical labor, then you can pretty much guarantee on feeling like a total zombie the next morning. However, there’s a difference between feeling a little sluggish every so often and struggling through a constant battle of low energy and relentless fatigue.
From daily habits to underlying health conditions, there are many factors that can contribute to low energy. Let’s take a look at some common ones.
Nutritional Choices Affect Energy Levels
Our bodies metabolize energy by way of the food we consume, which is packed with essential nutrients and vitamins we depend on to keep functioning. Without this vital source of nutrients, our bodies are unable to keep up with the energy levels our bodies demand, resulting in states of exhaustion and fatigue.
Folks who take the time and effort to plan out balanced meals and consume a variety of foods are likely getting an adequate amount of nutrients every day. Severe vitamin deficiencies are much more rare than you might think, but they can still occur if unhealthy dietary habits remain consistent.
If a diet is too restrictive and certain important nutrients are being routinely avoided, then the body’s metabolism of energy will be negatively impacted and lead to diminished energy. Fortunately for those who struggle with consuming well-rounded meals, there are a variety of meal subscription and delivery services that make meal prep less taxing while ensuring proper nutrients are obtained.
Some dietary habits that may create issues for your health include:
- Having a limited diet and/or not eating a wide variety of food – Dietary restrictions and limitations can result in nutrient deficiencies, which is where supplements come in handy.
- Following restrictive diets – Certain diets that eliminate essential food groups cut out foods vital for energy production.
- Not consuming enough calories – Many people trying to shed a few pounds try to limit calorie intake, but that can have adverse effects and result in low energy.
- Issues in the digestive tract – While this is not a choice like other dietary habits, certain diseases and issues affecting the digestive system can impact the absorption of nutrients.
Other Factors that Negatively Influence Energy
- Stressful events and prolonged stress
- Dealing with depression
- Getting over an infection
- Not being active enough and living a primarily sedentary lifestyle
- Allergies acting up
- Eating way too much sugar and refined carbs
The Best Daily Vitamins Out There to Increase Energy
B Vitamins
The term “B vitamins” encompass a large category of nutrients essential to your body’s metabolism and synthesis of energy. B vitamins play a vital role in maintaining good health and wellness and act as the building blocks of a healthy body. Though they each have varied metabolic functions, they are all necessary factors of your well-being and impact things like your energy levels, cell metabolism, and brain function.
For the purpose of this article, all B vitamins will be considered paramount to maintaining ideal daily energy levels, though we will not be able to go over each one in extensive detail. As long as you adhere to a balanced, varied diet, you will likely not experience any B vitamin deficiencies, since most of the food we eat contains an adequate amount of B vitamins.
Fish, eggs, poultry, lentils, avocados, oranges, and dairy products are just a fraction of food options that all contain proteins rich in a variety of B vitamins, meaning meat-eaters and vegetarians alike have plenty to choose from in terms of diet.
Wellness drinks like Maggie Q Morning Complete is a powerful wellness drinks that can help replace several individual supplements but can also give you a boost of energy that you need especially in the morning.
The recommended daily amount of B vitamins typically needed by adults are as follows:
- B1 (thiamine) – 1.1 to 1.2 mg
- B2 (riboflavin) – 1.1 to 1.3 mg
- B3 (niacin) – 14 to 16 mg
- B5 (pantothenic acid) – 5 mg
- B6 (pyridoxine) – 1.3 to 1.5 mg
- B7 (biotin) – 30 mcg
- B9 (folate) – 400 mcg
- B12 (cobalamin) – 2.4 mcg
Iron
Iron is an essential component of the blood, more specifically the hemoglobin present in the blood, which is the substance responsible for carrying oxygen to various parts of the body. It’s also an important factor of myoglobin, a protein somewhat similar to hemoglobin in that it transports oxygen into the muscles.
Kids and adolescents need iron for healthy growth and development. Excess iron is stored in the body, but without enough stored iron, the red blood cells in your body cannot carry enough oxygen in the blood, which will leave you feeling fatigued. This can result in developing a condition known as anemia, marked by extreme weakness and exhaustion.
Like other vitamins, iron can be obtained via the food you eat. It’s important to have a diet rich in iron, so try to consume foods like beef, tofu, fortified cereals, and beans. However, diet isn’t the only factor behind an iron deficiency. Heavy periods, frequent blood donors, people with cancer, people who are pregnant, and those with heart failure are all demographics that have a higher risk of developing an iron deficiency.
Here are the recommended daily amounts of iron needed by adults:
- Men – 8 mg
- Women – 8 to 18 mg
Magnesium
Though this one might not be as prominent as B vitamins, it’s certainly worth adding to our list. Magnesium plays a number of important roles within the body, including the regulation of muscle and nerve function. As an electrolyte, magnesium helps facilitate communication between tissues and organs throughout the body. This can be observed by something as simple as your brain sending a signal to your bicep, telling it to pick something up.
Magnesium, like other vitamins, can be primarily obtained via the consumption of a healthy, balanced diet. Some of the foods magnesium is found in include dark leafy greens (like arugula and kale), seeds, legumes, nuts, yogurt, fortified cereals, milk, and whole grains.
Magnesium deficiencies are possible if you cannot regularly obtain the necessary nutrients from your diet. Some symptoms of a magnesium deficiency to look out for include muscle cramping and weakness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. Individuals who are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, or suffer from long-term alcohol use disorder are more susceptible to having a magnesium deficiency.
The recommended daily amount of magnesium needed by adults is as follows:
- Men – 400 to 420 mg
- Women – 310 to 320 mg
- Pregnant people – 350 to 360 mg
- Breastfeeding people – 310 to 320 mg
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an extremely important vitamin when it comes to sustaining good bone health by helping your body absorb calcium, which your bones need for development and strength. Vitamin D is also necessary for keeping your muscles, nerves, and immune system healthy and functional.
Research reveals that the amount of vitamin D present in our bodies may be tied to how energetic we feel. People deficient in vitamin D experiencing fatigue saw improvements when they received treatment with the nutrient, which suggests energy levels correlate with the presence of vitamin D in the system. Supplementing with vitamin D can also lead to improvements in conditions often associated with causing fatigue. Taking a daily vitamin D supplement is shown to reduce the risk of autoimmune diseases, of which certain conditions can result in fatigue.
Though anywhere between 1,000 and 2,000 IU is considered to be safe, the recommended daily values of vitamin D are the following:
- Adults younger than 70 – 600 IU
- Adults older than 70 – 800 IU
Zinc
Though zinc might not be as prominently discussed as other vitamins and nutrients when it comes to staying healthy, this mineral is integral to the body. Zinc helps the growth of cells, assists in the healing of damaged tissue, and plays a huge role in supporting immune health.
Without zinc, our bodies would be much worse off. A zinc deficiency can be linked to decreased immunity and increased feelings of depression, which both influence energy levels. Most adults can get an adequate amount of zinc from their diets, so having a true zinc deficiency is pretty rare in the United States. That being said, other factors can play a significant role in zinc levels. Vegetarians and individuals who have had gastrointestinal surgery are more susceptible to having a deficiency of the mineral.
The recommended daily value of zinc for adults is as follows:
- Men – 11 mg
- Women – 8 mg
Increase Energy and Get the Most Out of Your Days
You only live once, so it’s important to take the steps you can to improve your health and live each day exactly how you want to. Low energy can put a heavy burden in your life, making it difficult to accomplish simple tasks and leave you feeling like you just ran a marathon after doing something as mundane as walking up a flight of stairs. While there are serious medical conditions and underlying causes that can result in reduced energy, fatigue can often be explained due to diet and other factors that can be resolved with simple changes.
Supplementing with vitamins is a fantastic way to boost your energy and leave you feeling like a brand new you. Hopefully this list of daily, energy-raising vitamins can help get you back on track in no time!
