Lack of Energy Could be from a Common Vitamin B12 Deficiency

It’s understandable in this day and age that people are lethargic and lack energy—just look at what the average person eats! But when you eat right and get regular exercise, and still can’t seem to muster enough energy, you may want to consider vitamin B12 for an energetic boost. According to researchers, up to 40 percent of Americans don’t get enough of this energy-producing vitamin, yet it is one of the best vitamins for energy around.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency and a Lack of Energy

This vitamin is found naturally in fish, meat, eggs and dairy products. But, it is also found in enriched foods like breakfast cereals – in a questionable synthetic form. Although an estimated 40% of Americans are deficient in B12, vegetarians and vegans are especially at risk of being deficient in this crucial water-soluble vitamin.

Vitamin B12 is essential for optimum energy levels and will even help you to prevent aging. But what does a vitamin B12 deficiency look like?

If you are deficient in vitamin B12, you could see the following symptoms:

• Memory loss
• Agitation
• Tiredness
• Lack of general energy

Left untreated, B12 may be connected to:

• Alzheimer’s and dementia
• Multiple sclerosis
• Cancer
• Infertility
• Depression, anxiety, psychosis
• Cardiovascular disease

The elderly, people who have intestinal disorders or who have undergone intestinal surgery, and if you take certain medications including aspirin and metformin, could be at a higher risk.

Because doctors don’t frequently test for B12 deficiency, it often goes undiagnosed and it isn’t until it has contributed to long-term diseases that the symptoms resulting from it are paid attention to. In other words, tiredness isn’t all that unusual and is usually treated with more sleep, dangerous energy drinks, or ignored altogether. However, you can’t really ignore Alzheimer’s disease. These more serious conditions, however, are treated with prescription medications and never linked to diet by mainstream medical doctors.

So, what can you do? If you believe you might be deficient in B vitamins, because you don’t normally consume much fish, eggs, dairy products, or meat—you could go with a simple vitamin B12 supplement. And if you’d like other natural ways to boost energy and fight sleepiness, you can try various other natural energy boosters to amp up your day.

Additional Sources:

ChrisKresser

DoctorOz

NY Times