If despite plenty of rest, quality sleep, good water consumption and a balanced diet, you still feel abnormally tired, then you may have nutritional deficiencies. To help you regain your vitality, we give you the 4 nutrients whose consumption is essential for correct energy production and their best sources:
Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that plays many essential benefits in the way enzymes regulate bodily functions, including energy production. A lack of magnesium can lead to fatigue, loss of appetite and nausea. Additionally, although research has not fully proven its effectiveness, magnesium may help you sleep because it helps with muscle relaxation and binds to a neurotransmitter that reduces anxiety, thereby reducing the risk of insomnia. . And we know, there is no better energy boost than quality sleep.
Where to find it? In sardines, seafood, oilseeds, green vegetables and whole grains. Mineral waters and unrefined sea salt are also good sources of magnesium.
Iron
Lack of energy is the most common symptom of iron deficiency. Iron has an important role in hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. When iron deficient, blood oxygen levels are low and you can become anemic. You may then feel tired and weak because oxygen is not being delivered to the cells. (If your cells are sluggish, you will be too). Pregnant women and women of childbearing age are at increased risk of deficiency. Vegetarians and vegans may also have a diet naturally lower in iron, so it is important to manage to eat a varied diet.
Where to find it? In red meat, offal, black pudding and fish. It is also found in legumes, green vegetables, cereals, oilseeds, fruits, eggs and dairy products, but in a form, called non-heme, less well absorbed by the body. To maximize the absorption of plant-based iron, combine these foods with sources of vitamin C (kiwifruit, citrus fruits, peppers, cruciferous vegetables, parsley).
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is one of the only water-soluble vitamins that is stored by the body. But not being synthesized by the body, it must be provided by a balanced diet. Vitamin B12 deficiency is quite common, and the reason it plays a role in feeling tired actually has to do with iron. When the body does not receive enough B12, the production of red and white blood cells decreases. As these red blood cells are responsible for circulating iron throughout the body, this can lead to a lack of energy. Vegans and vegetarians who don't eat eggs are most at risk of deficiency because it's difficult to get B12 from plant foods.
Where to find it? Vitamin B12 is mainly found in foods of animal origin: meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, milk, cheese, eggs, offal, etc. On the plant side, algae and nutritional yeast contain B12 but in a less bioavailable form. To avoid deficiencies, supplementation is therefore recommended for vegans.
CoQ10
CoQ10, which stands for coenzyme Q10, is synthesized naturally by the body which uses it to produce energy and neutralize free radicals responsible for cellular damage and aging. It is ubiquitous in the body, meaning it is found in all cells, although the heart, kidneys and liver have the highest levels. When CoQ10 levels decrease, your body's cells can no longer produce the energy they need to grow and stay healthy, which can contribute to feeling tired.
Where to find it? Oily fish, meat (especially beef and poultry), and nuts contain CoQ10, but not in sufficient quantities to significantly increase the levels in your body. There is therefore never an excess consumption of CoQ10. Therefore, CoQ10 supplementation may be a better alternative to reduce fatigue in people with low or declining CoQ10 levels.
There are obviously other nutrients which are essential for the proper functioning of the body and which have significant contributions such as calcium, zinc, selenium and potassium.
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