Have you ever wondered what vitamins give you energy? When asked what the root of leading a healthy life ¹is, everyone will have many different answers to it.

Some may say a balanced diet and daily exercise and enough sleep, while health-conscious people give you a well-structured list of the number of proteins, carbohydrates, and nutrients one must intake daily to lead a healthy life.

But in reality, at the end of the day, how many of us can maintain a healthy lifestyle by consuming a well-balanced diet and exercising regularly?

Because of the busy schedule and the daily hustle, people cannot focus on their health and maintain a healthy life. It is thus very important for every individual to maintain high energy levels to have the enthusiasm to exercise regularly and consume a well-balanced diet ²to keep up with the daily work routine.

If you wonder how one can maintain high energy levels, you need not worry as we’ve got you all covered.

Here is where vitamins play a very important role. We all have been told to sit in the early morning sunlight to get vitamin D and eat citric fruits like orange, melon, and lime, as they are rich in vitamin C. But does anyone of us know why exactly we need such vitamins and what vitamins give us energy?

Vitamins play a crucial role in providing the body with the necessary amount of energy required to carry out daily tasks and act as an add-on to a healthy lifestyle. Thus, here is a list of what vitamins give you energy and helps to boost energy levels.³

Best Vitamins that Will Boost Energy Levels:

1. Vitamin B:

When it comes to what vitamins give you energy, the answer will include B vitamins. B vitamin majorly helps in energy production in the cells, and thus, a deficiency of vitamin B⁴ in the body can lead to fatigue. In addition, vitamin B is also necessary to produce red blood cells in the body.

Foods rich in vitamin B for healthy red blood cells:

1. Salmon
2. Leafy greens
3. Nutritional Yeast and Brewer’s Yeast
4. Eggs
5. Milk
6. Beef Liver and Pork
7. Legumes
8. Chicken and Turkey
9. Yogurt
10. Sunflower seeds.

Among the B vitamins, vitamin B12 in specific helps convert the food that we consume into energy that can be used by the body to perform various activities.

Moreover, vitamin B12 prevents anemia that causes fatigue making you feel weak and tired. Vitamin B12 thus helps to keep the body, blood, and nerve cells healthy to fight fatigue.

As vitamin B12 is present only in animal-based foods or fortified foods, older adults, vegetarians, and vegans may usually be at a higher risk of deficiency of vitamin B12.

Additionally, people with conditions such as celiac disease and Crohn’s disease may also be at a risk of vitamin B12 deficiency as such conditions often hinder the ability to absorb vitamin B12.

It is observed that some athletes especially take vitamin B12 supplements to get an energy boost to improve their performance. Therefore, vitamin B12 is a must, including what vitamins give you energy. However, there is no such proof that indicates the increase in performance or persistence in people who do not possess a deficiency of vitamin B12.

However, it is advised to consult the doctor in case of a potential deficiency of vitamin B12 to avoid low energy levels.

2. Vitamin D:

A very common reason for lack of energy in most people is D vitamin deficiency. People who do not get enough vitamin D often face issues like muscle fatigue that eventually lowers the energy level in the human body.

Reports suggest that more than 50% of people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency. Older adults, people with darker skin color, not getting enough sun exposure due to their cold climatic living conditions, and people with obesity are often more prone to vitamin D deficiency.

According to a recent study, people with a deficiency of vitamin D were found to have enhanced their muscle efficiency after they were given proper treatment for the same.

In addition, fatigue is also seen as a common symptom of depression⁵, and thus, there is a linkage between low vitamin D levels and depression. Therefore, vitamin D is always considered when it comes to what vitamins give you energy, and thus, the intake of vitamin D becomes necessary to significantly reduced the levels of depression and fatigue.

Also, read 4 Best Vitamins for Depression: Causes and Situations.

It also prevents diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases. Egg yolk, fatty fish and seafood, mushrooms, and milk are food products rich in vitamin D. Another major source of vitamin D is the sun, as our body, when exposed to the sun’s UV-B rays, generates large quantities of vitamin D.

3. Ashwagandha:

Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that is often considered to help boost energy levels.

It is observed that stress and anxiety can add to the feelings of tiredness and low energy. Thus, it may also inhibit the body’s ability to perform daily tasks.

Adaptogens are substances derived from plants that help the human body control stress levels. Therefore, ashwagandha being an adaptogen helps the body fight fatigue by managing the stress and anxiety levels.

Research suggests that the ashwagandha root extract helps mitigate stress and anxiety and is found to be safe and suitable for consumption as it is known as ayurvedic medicine. In a span of 60 days, it was observed that people who took the ashwagandha supplements had a reduction in their stress and cortisol levels.

Along with enhancing mental fatigue and stress conditions, ashwagandha can also relieve exercise-related fatigue. Following this, another study reports that ashwagandha helps improve the endurance level during exercise as it was found that the endurance level in a group of cyclists had improved when they took the ashwagandha supplements twice a day.

Thus, ashwagandha helps in improving both physical and mental stress conditions.

Ashwagandha is considered to be one of the most important medicinal herbs in Indian Ayurveda which is one of the world’s oldest medicinal systems.

4. Creatine:

Another supplementation that can help increase energy production in the body is Creatine. It is an amino acid naturally found in seafood, red meat, pork, and poultry.

According to a review, creatine is found to have the potential to improve performance in high-intensity exercises and also improve the recovery rate, thereby preventing sports-instigated injuries. It also helps mitigate the risk of dehydration, especially when exercising or being involved in sports activities.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is considered the energy currency of life. When ATP is used by the body to produce energy, it loses a phosphate group, which becomes adenosine diphosphate. This is when creatine lends its phosphate to ADP to become ATP, thus acting as an instant energy source.

Taking creatine supplementation increases creatine stores in the muscles and can help boost energy and improve performance during intense workouts or sports activities.

According to a study, both short and long-term creatine supplementations are safe and suitable to consume by healthy people of all ages.

5. Iron:

Do you know why people often feel dizzy after suddenly getting up from their seats? It’s usually because of the iron deficiency in their body. With the help of iron, our body produces hemoglobin, a protein in the red blood cells that transport oxygen from our lungs to the various organs and tissues present in our body.

Thus, the red blood cells present in our body need sufficient levels of iron to efficiently carry oxygen to the various tissues present throughout our body.

If the red blood cells do not receive enough iron, they cannot carry out their function, which eventually leads to iron deficiency anemia, making the person feel weak and tired all the time.

As meat and seafood are the richest sources of iron, vegans and vegetarians have 1.8 times higher iron requirements than the people who eat meat. However, foods such as citric fruits and green leafy vegetables are also iron-rich foods with vitamin C that helps to increase the absorption rate in the body.

Females getting heavy periods or conditions such as internal bleeding can drastically deplete iron levels in the body as more than half of the body’s iron is present in the blood.

Additionally, iron is twice the normal need for pregnant women to have normal fetal growth. Normally, 1000mg of iron is required during pregnancy.

Therefore, an iron supplement may be required in the above few cases to prevent iron deficiency anemia, tackling weakness and fatigue.

There can be a few threats to people’s health due to excessive iron intake. To prevent any complications, one must consult their doctor and take iron supplements only if advised.

6. Coenzyme Q10:

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an enzyme that is naturally present in the human body. It is determined as an antioxidant that increases energy in the body and strengthens the immune system. CoQ10 is present in all the cells of the body and is particularly found in high levels in the heart, liver, pancreas, and kidneys.

As per a study, fatigue and tiredness in many people were found to be associated with low levels of CoQ10 as in such conditions, the body’s cells are unable to produce the energy needed to grow and stay fit.

The cells in our body use CoQ10 to produce energy and protect themselves from oxidative damage.

Oily fish, liver or organ meats, nuts, and whole grains contain CoQ10. However, these foods do not contain enough CoQ10 to be able to increase the CoQ10 levels in the body significantly.

CoQ10 levels are often low in people with heart conditions, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, or people taking insulin. The CoQ10 levels also reduce with age. In such cases, CoQ10 supplements can significantly help reduce fatigue and boost energy levels.

7. L-theanine with Caffeine:

We all know that many people intake caffeine as it helps them get an energy boost. People commonly consume caffeine through drinks like coffee, tea, energy drinks, cocoa beverages, and sodas.

Though many people consume caffeine for its energy-boosting properties, many others limit or sometimes completely avoid caffeine intake as consumption of the same eventually leads to nervousness, restlessness, and irritability.

However, combining L-theanine with caffeine is the best way to help prevent such side effects and also help increase energy and cognitive performance.

L-theanine is an amino acid known to aid relaxation in the body without increasing drowsiness. L-theanine is naturally found in tea and some species of mushrooms.

Based on several studies, the mixture of L-theanine with caffeine is thought to improve memory, attentiveness, and reaction time while decreasing tiredness and mental fatigue.

However, while the intake of L-theanine is bearable, it is recommended to curb the caffeine intake to avoid any side effects caused by excessive intake of the same.

Energy production:

Every human body needs the energy to function most efficiently. Thus, energy production is very important. Fortunately, there are several naturally available foods rich in various vitamins and minerals that one must surely include in their daily diet to help the body in energy production.

However, it is not always possible for most people to include such vitamin-rich foods in their diet. It may not be possible for some people because of their busy schedules, while some may have health conditions that require high doses of vitamins and minerals.

Thus, along with the naturally available vitamins and minerals, one can also benefit through the supplementations of the energy-boosting vitamins and minerals available. However, taking supplements for high energy levels may not suit everyone.

Therefore, it is always recommended that one must definitely consult their dietitian or a doctor before taking any such supplementations. Besides the intake of energy-boosting vitamins and minerals, it is also necessary for every individual to follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and give the body enough sleep and resting hours.

With all the above-provided information, you must have the right answer to the root of leading a healthy life and what vitamins give you energy.

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2. Miller, Jennifer L., et al. “A reduced‐energy intake, well‐balanced diet improves weight control in children with Prader‐Willi syndrome.” Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 26.1 (2013): 2-9. ↩︎
3. Napolitano, Michael J., and Daniel H. Shain. “Four kingdoms on glacier ice: convergent energetic processes boost energy levels as temperatures fall.” Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 271.suppl_5 (2004): S273-S276. ↩︎
4. Allen, Lindsay H. “How common is vitamin B-12 deficiency?.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 89.2 (2009): 693S-696S. ↩︎
5. Fried, Eiko I. “The 52 symptoms of major depression: Lack of content overlap among seven common depression scales.” Journal of affective disorders 208 (2017): 191-197. ↩︎

Last Updated on February 23, 2024 by ayeshayusuf