Unveiling the Culprits: Nutrient Deficiencies Behind Your Fatigue

You’re exhausted and can’t seem to figure out why. You’re going to bed early, avoiding alcohol, and your labs seem fine. You still need to guzzle caffeine every morning to make it through the day though. Something has to give, because this isn’t sustainable.

There are many things that can cause fatigue. Hormonal imbalances, lack of sleep, or infections could be culprits. Unfortunately it’s a vague symptom, making it hard to pin down the cause. But don’t worry- that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

Nutrient deficiencies can also cause fatigue. If you’re feeling exhausted, you may want to look at your dinner (or breakfast or lunch or snack) plate. What you eat directly impacts your health, including energy production! There are several nutrients that help create energy. If your diet is lacking in one or more of these nutrients, then you are at risk for fatigue.

B Vitamins

The B vitamins are a group of 8 vitamins. These vitamins are B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folate), and B12 (cobalamin). Most of the B vitamins are involved in energy production except folate. Folate is more involved in DNA processes.

You may have heard of B12. It helps create red blood cells, boost the immune system, protect the nervous system, and break down carbohydrates into glucose. Glucose is a primary source of fuel for our bodies.

Symptoms of a deficiency are fatigue and exhaustion, muscle weakness, sore/red tongue, and a feeling of pins and needles on your skin. B12 is found almost exclusively in animal products. People who follow vegan or plant-based diets are more at risk of B12 deficiency. Stomach acid plays a crucial role in absorbing B12. People taking antacids, proton-pump inhibitors, and H2 blockers have an increased risk of B12 deficiency as well.

B12 can be found in fish, red meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. A vegan-friendly source of B12 is nutritional yeast.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is considered a vitamin, but actually works more like a hormone in the body. Cells and tissues all over our body have vitamin D receptors. It was originally thought that vitamin D was important for solely bone health, but now we know that isn’t the case. Vitamin D plays a role in immunity, mental health, cardiovascular health, and yes, bone health too.

Our bodies can produce vitamin D using UV rays from sunlight exposure. Given that most people stay inside most of the day , it can be incredibly hard to get 100% of the vitamin D we need from the sun.

Eggs, liver, oily fish, cheddar cheese, and certain mushrooms provide small amounts of vitamin D. It is hard to consume enough vitamin D from food. Because of this, it is best to use a combination of sun exposure, food, and supplements to meet your vitamin D needs.

Whenever possible, go outside for 10-15 minutes per day with arms and legs exposed. After 15 minutes, go back inside or put on sunscreen to avoid a sunburn. You cannot create vitamin D from sun when you have sunscreen on.

It is important to test vitamin D levels regularly. Testing twice per year will help guide vitamin D supplementation. Test at the end of summer and at the end of winter. Healthy vitamin D levels are between 50 and 75 ng/dL.

Iron

Iron helps transport oxygen throughout the body, and helps create ATP. ATP produces energy. We need oxygen to produce energy as well, so if we can’t move oxygen to cells and tissues, we won’t feel energized!

Menstruating and pregnant women need significantly more iron than other populations. Both of these groups are at risk of iron deficiency. Severe iron deficiency can lead to iron deficiency anemia. Symptoms include fatigue, shallow breathing, muscle weakness, and intolerance to cold (especially in the hands and feet).

Red meat and organ meats (like liver) are rich sources of iron. Iron is also found in plant based foods such as nuts and seeds, oats, dark chocolate, spinach, and beans. Iron found in animal products is heme iron, while iron found in plant products is non-heme iron. Heme iron is much easier to digest than non-heme iron. Because of this, vegetarians and vegans at risk for iron deficiency.

Pairing non-heme iron with a vitamin c source can improve the absorption rate of non-heme iron. Vitamin C sources include red bell peppers, berries, citrus fruits, and kiwis. Soaking dry beans in cool water for 8-10 hours before cooking makes it easier to absorb the iron in beans.

It is possible to have iron overload, especially from supplements. Never take an iron supplement without the recommendation of your doctor or nutritionist. They can look at your lab work and symptoms to determine if you need a supplement and at what dose.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is best known for its role in the immune system, but it also plays a role in energy production. It plays a role in mitochondrial health (you know, the mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell!). Vitamin C helps carry long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria for ATP production. ATP is then used to create energy.

Symptoms of vitamin c deficiency include fatigue, irritability, slow wound healing, bruising, swollen gums.

Vitamin C is found in most fruits and vegetables. It is especially abundant in berries, kiwis, bell peppers, citrus fruits, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower. The recommended amount of vitamin C is outdated. It was created with the sole purpose of preventing scurvy. We now know that vitamin C is needed for many processes in the body. Because of this, many practitioners want the recommendations for vitamin C intake increased.

Magnesium

Magnesium is needed for over 300 chemical reactions in the body. It influences blood pressure, protein creation, blood glucose levels, muscle and nerve function, and energy production. Magnesium is required to metabolize carbohydrates and fats to be used for fuel. ATP, the main molecule for energy, actually exists as a complex with magnesium.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include fatigue, anxiety, trouble sleeping, nausea, muscle cramps, and tingling or numbness of the extremities.

As important as magnesium is in our bodies, most Americans don’t get enough of it through the diet. Rich sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and dark chocolate. You can also increase your magnesium levels through taking epsom salt baths. Use 2 cups of epsom salt and soak for 15-30 minutes.

Some forms of magnesium supplementation can cause gastrointestinal distress, specifically diarrhea. Magnesium carbonate, magnesium chloride, magnesium gluconate, and magnesium oxide all have laxative effects, so use caution with them.

How can you tell if you have a deficiency?

The gold standard for evaluating nutrient deficiencies is lab testing. There are common labs and more specialized labs, such as Spectracell’s Micronutrient Test Panel. A qualified nutritionist can use lab work to check for nutrient deficiencies.

Lab results aren’t the only thing we can look at. Nutritionists can analyze your diet to see if there is anything you're missing. They can also analyze your symptoms. Nutritionists put all this data together to identify deficiencies without lab work.

Should you take a supplement?

Most people could use a standard multivitamin/multimineral supplement. But, it’s best to consult with a professional before starting another supplement. Supplements can interact negatively with other supplements or prescription medications. If you are taking a supplement that you don’t need, you could be causing more harm than good. It is also a waste of money !

Nutritionists can help you determine if you have a deficiency or not. if that deficiency can be corrected through food alone, or if you need a supplement. They can help you pick a quality supplement within your budget. Supplements aren’t regulated as heavily as prescription drugs, so it's important to use a reputable company.

Where do you go from here?

If you’re struggling with fatigue and need help getting yourself re-energized, I am here to help. I use nutrition and lifestyle changes to help my clients feel GOOD again. You can click here to schedule a free 20 minute discovery call to discuss how we can work together to help you get your groove back.