Being fatigued sucks. You stumble through the day, your brain slow, your body aching; you’re lethargic, groggy, and everything is an effort.
Fatigue is much more than just feeling tired – it’s a generalised lack of energy and motivation that can sometimes be a symptom of a more serious condition, like depression, anaemia, or issues with your thyroid. For this reason, if you have pervasive fatigue you need to visit your doctor.
If you’ve ruled out medical issues but are still struggling with fatigue, it could simply be the result of bad habits, such as:
The best way to beat fatigue is to work out which habit is causing the problem and then start making changes. Combined with stress management, proper nutrition, and healthy sleeping habits, the following supplements can help fight fatigue and get you back to your high-energy self.
B Complex
Vitamin B complex is made up of 11 different water-soluble vitamins that work together to help the body maintain energy and proper brain function.
These vitamins are easily depleted due to stress, poor diet, or consumption of too much alcohol, but can be found naturally in meats, fish, eggs, and dairy, or taken in supplement form.
A deficiency in B complex vitamins can cause symptoms relating to fatigue, such as muscle weakness, lack of co-ordination, and pain or soreness in the muscles or joints.
Melatonin
If you think lack of sleep may be contributing to your fatigue, a melatonin supplement could do the trick. Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the brain to regulate the body’s circadian rhythm and help us sleep. As it gets later and darker, our bodies crank up the levels of melatonin, until it peaks around 3.00 am, when our body temperature is at its lowest. After that, the levels drop again.
Melatonin supplements can be particularly beneficial for jet lag, along with a course of therapeutic massage.
St. John’s Wort
Stress is one of the most commonly known symptoms of fatigue. St. John’s Wort is a popular herbal remedy that’s known to relieve the emotional triggers of stress. It’s not entirely clear how St. John’s Wort works, but it’s thought to prolong the effects of the natural mood-enhancer, serotonin (the happy chemical) in the brain.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin involved in several important functions in our bodies: it helps keep our vision sharp, helps our cells grow, and helps keep the immune system strong, which is crucial for avoiding fatigue.
Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the body from damage caused by free radicals. As happy as these sound, they’re actually illness-causing compounds that are produced when our bodies are exposed to pollution, stress, or a poor diet. Vitamin A helps to neutralise the damage and promote strong immunity.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that assists with the proper functioning of blood pressure and the cardiovascular system. If you’re feeling exhausted, it could be because your adrenal glands are fatigued. A sufficient intake of magnesium recovers those adrenal glands and produces muscular energy to combat muscle aches and tiredness.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D aids the functioning of the metabolism, and the body’s ability to absorb phosphorus and calcium. If you’re deficient in vitamin D, you may experience fatigue, low energy, mood swings, and symptoms of depression.
The best way to get vitamin D is from the sun. But certain animal-based foods like egg yolks, salmon, and cheese also contain it, or you can get it in supplement form, making it more accessible for vegans, and those of us who spend long days in an office devoid of natural sunlight.
Fatigue can be caused by all sorts of things, but by improving your diet, taking in the right vitamins and treating yourself to regular therapeutic massages, you’ll rediscover energy you’d forgotten you had. Call us to book an appointment on 0131 357 6453.
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