Energy & Fatigue

Nutrients connected to Energy & Fatigue

A link means the body needs the nutrient for this, or that low intake is linked to it. It does not mean extra supplements help if your intake is already adequate; each link shows how strong the evidence is.

• IronDeficiency link

  Iron makes haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood. Low iron can cause tiredness and low energy; extra iron has not been shown to help when levels are adequate.

• B-Complex FormulasEstablished role

  B vitamins help the body release energy from food. This role does not show that extra amounts raise energy.

• Vitamin B1 (thiamin)Established role

  Thiamin is needed to turn food into energy, and deficiency causes weakness and fatigue. There is no good evidence it raises energy in people who are not deficient.

• Vitamin B2Established role

  Riboflavin is needed to release energy from food. Extra amounts are not shown to reduce tiredness when intake is adequate.

• Vitamin B12Deficiency link

  Extreme tiredness is a common symptom of B12 deficiency. There is no good evidence that extra B12 adds energy when levels are normal.

• MagnesiumEstablished role

  Magnesium helps turn food into energy, and fatigue is an early sign of true deficiency. This does not show that extra magnesium raises energy when intake is adequate.

• PhosphorusEstablished role

  Phosphorus is needed to make ATP, the cell's energy-storage molecule. There is no good evidence that extra phosphorus raises energy in people who are not deficient.

• CarnitineEstablished role

  Carnitine carries long-chain fatty acids into the cell's energy units so they can be burned. This is its normal role; the sources we read do not show that extra carnitine raises energy or lowers tiredness.

• Coenzyme Q10Established role

  Cells use CoQ10 to make energy. No good evidence that extra CoQ10 raises energy in people who are not deficient.

• Caffeine supplementsPreliminary or mixed

  Caffeine can make people feel more awake for a few hours. It does not provide energy in the way food does.

• RhodiolaPreliminary or mixed

  Small studies suggest possible benefit for stress-related fatigue, but NCCIH says evidence is not enough to say rhodiola is useful, and the EU approval is traditional use only.

• EleutheroPreliminary or mixed

  Registered in the EU for tiredness and weakness based on long use; two trials found no clear benefit overall, so evidence is weak.

• Asian ginsengPreliminary or mixed

  Small benefit for general fatigue in a 2023 review; mixed; EU traditional use for tiredness.

• GuayusaPreliminary or mixed

  Small trials suggest a short-term effect on perceived energy and fatigue, probably from caffeine.

• Korean Red GinsengPreliminary or mixed

  Traditional use for tiredness is accepted by EMA; trial evidence is limited and mixed.

• Energy and Focus BlendsPreliminary or mixed

  The topic these products are sold for. Caffeine may help alertness for a few hours; evidence for added B vitamins or other ingredients in people with normal levels is insufficient.

• Vitamin B3 (niacin)Established role

  Niacin helps the body release energy from food. That is a normal role, not proof that supplements reduce tiredness in people who get enough.

• Vitamin B9 (folate and folic acid)Deficiency link

  Folate-deficiency anaemia causes extreme tiredness. No good evidence that extra folate raises energy when intake is adequate.

• JiaogulanPreliminary or mixed

  One trial of a specific extract found less perceived fatigue and higher VO2 max in healthy adults.

• GuaranaPreliminary or mixed

  Small studies and meta-analyses of guarana suggest at most a small, short-term effect, probably through its caffeine; results for cancer-related fatigue conflict.

• Geranium OilPreliminary or mixed

  Fatigue scores fell versus placebo in one nurse trial.

• Guayusa TeaPreliminary or mixed

  Extract trial found lower fatigue after one dose; not tested in tea.

• Yerba MatePreliminary or mixed

  Traditional-use category for tiredness only, per the EU monograph.

Explore all vitamins → · Minerals → · Amino acids → · Omega fatty acids → · Antioxidants → · Gut supplements → · Nootropics → · Herbs →