The Doctor explains - Lifting your energy levels

Tiredness is a very common symptom amongst many people. There are many causes of tiredness some of which are explained below.

Causes

  1. Organic causes: these are causes of a disease or imbalance. Examples include thyroid disorders and other hormonal deficiencies, aneamia or inflammatory conditions. It might be appropriate to exclude such conditions with your family doctor if you are feeling excessively tired.
  2. Lifestyle factors should be considered if you have exhaustion and organic causes have been excluded. Examples of lifestyle factors include poor diet (too little, too much or too unhealthy), excessive alcohol use, lack of sleep or burnout from daily or work activities. If you detect lifestyle factors, an attempt should be made to correct them!
  3. Nutrient or Vitamin Deficiency could be the culprit of your exhaustion which will be explored fully in this section (see below).

 

Nutrient or Vitamin Deficiencies linked with low energy levels

If you are not feeling refreshed when you wake up or you feel that your batteries run out half way through the day, you will be asking yourself "what can I do to boost my energy levels?". Provided that there is no organic cause or lifestyle factors, then it could be possible that you might be missing some of the essential nutrients the body needs. In this section we will review nutrient or vitamin deficiencies. 

Here are the top nutrients to lift your energy levels (in order of importance):

  • Iron
  • Co-Enzyme Q10
  • Vitamin B12 and B Complex
  • Vitamin D
  • Zinc
  • Magnesium
  • Vitamin C

 

Iron

The body requires sufficient amount of iron in order to create red blood cells, which will eventually transfer oxygen from the lung to all the tissues of the body. Lack of iron will cause reduced AMOUNT of red blood cells as well as reduced QUALITY of the red blood cells. Put it simply, without iron the body will have less Red blood cells (our oxygen carriers) and the existing red blood cells can transfer less oxygen due to diminished quality.

Without enough oxygen in the tissues, the cells metabolic activities decline and as a result we have an array of symptoms (which are all due to the diminished oxygen supply to the tissues:

  • Tiredness & Exhaustion
  • Pale skin due to anaemia
  • Poor memory
  • Low mood
  • Weak muscles
  • Fast heart rate or noticeable heartbeat

Women are more prone to have low iron due to the monthly menstrual period and it is a good idea to get iron supplements especially during the menstruation to replenish the lost iron. Other people at risk include vegas and vegetarians, prolonged fasting during Christmas and Easter period, pregnant women and people with malabsorption issues.

It is easy to measure your iron (the best way to do this is measure your Ferritin level) and treatment should be tailored according to your levels. In severe cases intravenous iron infusion might be required, but in most cases oral supplementation is enough.

 

Co-Enzyme Q10

Co-Enzyme Q10 is a very important enzyme in the little "energy factories" of each cell called mitochondria. It is the initial enzyme that will kick-start energy production in ALL cells of our body. When Co-Enzyme Q10 is deficient, the cell's ability to produce energy is declining and as a result metabolic functions of the cell as well as the ability to eradicate the various toxins from the cell (celled free radicals) is declining. This will lead to accumulation of these toxic free radicals, causing inflammation and general cellular dysfunction. Various symptoms have been described due to this metabolic derangement such as generalized fatigue and muscular weakness, periodontal disease, eye sight decline (known as retinal disease) as well as cognitive decline. 

 

Vitamin B Complex / Vitamin B12

The most widely known Vitamin from the B complex is B12. It is of paramount importance as it is am important helper of the enzymes required for healthy brain, blood and DNA. Deficiency of Vitamin B12 could cause neurological and psychological symptoms.

It is important to be able to recognise some of the symptoms as B12 deficiency is the most common deficiency and it becomes more frequent in vegans/vegetarians (due to inadequate intake), people over 60 (due to reduced absorption) and pregnant women (due to higher demand). Symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency include:

  • Tiredness and fatigue
  • Anaemia (low amount of red blood cells)
  • Muscular weakness
  • Poor memory
  • Poor mood / tendency for depression
  • Cognitive decline

If you are deficient in Vitamin B12 (this can easily be checked by your family doctor) then you will need extra supplementation of B12 as indicated by your family doctor. Taking Vitamin B complex occasionally (especially if you are over 60 or vegetarian/vegan) - perhaps supplement yourself for one month every 3-4 months - can help you to boost the levels of this vital nutrient in your body, and help your enzymes work at their best.

 

Vitamin D

Vitamin D appears to play an important role in almost every cell of our body. The most well known function of Vitamin D is keeping healthy bones and maintaining normal calcium levels. However Vitamin D benefits numerous other important functions like immune system and muscle function. By supporting the immune system, we are able to fight better any inflammation caused by either toxins, bacteria or viruses. Thus by preventing common cold for example and maintaining healthy muscles, you are preventing fatigue and you are lifting your energy levels.

 

Zinc deficiency

Zinc plays an important role within many enzymatic reactions of the body. It is a helped molecule (called a Co-Factor) for the chain reactions required to produce energy. If you are deficient on Zinc, then the metabolism suffers and slows down leading to tiredness, fatigue, reduced energy levels and often mental tiredness. Ensuring on the other hand that zinc in your body is sufficient could support you in boosting your energy levels naturally.

 

Magnesium

Magnesium is crucial in many enzymatic activities of the body and essential in maintaining normal muscle activity (including activity of the muscle of the heart), protein production and appropriate nerve function. Magnesium is required to keep energy levels up through normal cellular function. It also plays an important role in sleep, and as such it can indirectly help energy levels through better sleep.

Symptoms of reactive magnesium deficiency will include:

  • Generalized tiredness and fatigue
  • Muscular weakness or stiffness
  • Heart palpitations (or arrhythmias)
  • Poor sleep

People at risk of having magnesium deficiency include elderly people and those with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (due to poor absorption), pregnant women as well as people taking medications which may inhibit magnesium absorption.

 

Vitamin C

Vitamin C (or ascorbic acid) has an important role in cell healing, adequate tissue health and normal functioning of the immune system. It is crucial for teeth, bone and nail health and is required for iron absorption. Vitamin C is found in fruits, so vitamin C deficiency could be present in people not having enough fruits and vegetables. It is considered more common in smokers due to diminished absorption.

Lacking of Vitamin C could lead to generalized tiredness (due to inadequate cellular health). easy bruising of the skin, poor immune functioning, weak teeth/skin & bone.