Exhaustion and Vitamin B deficiency
The first deficiency we might attribute to exhaustion is iron, but there is another vitamin that could be the culprit to your daily 3:30pm energy slump.
This is vitamin B12. Exhaustion, weakness, and fatigue are common symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. This is because B12 makes red blood cells which transports oxygen throughout the body. When your body is unable to efficiently transport oxygen to the cells, your body can become tired and weak.
Symptoms of low vitamin B12
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Pale skin
- Sensations of pins and needles
- Mouth ulcers
- Breathlessness and Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Mood changes
These symptoms can be from many different conditions and deficiencies, so before self diagnosing it’s important to get a blood test from a health care professional for a proper diagnosis.
Reasons for a deficiency
The most common reasons for this deficiency are:
- restrictive diets
- heavy alcohol consumption
- eating a vegan or vegetarian diet (as B-12 is mostly found in meat and animal by-products)
- people who have gastrointestinal disorders or have had surgery on their stomach or intestine.
Food high in B12
Whether you want to increase your vitamin B12 stores or prevent deficiency, eating these foods may improve your overall health and energy level.
- Beef, liver, and chicken.
- Fish and shellfish such as trout, salmon, tuna fish, and clams.
- Fortified breakfast cereal.
- Low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.
- Eggs.
- Slim Mama Shake!
Whether a vitamin B12 deficiency is contributing to your exhaustion or not, it's always worth exploring the cause, as long term deficiencies can cause irreversible damage. There's no shortage of potential culprits for fatigue from lifestyle issues, such as lack of sleep and not exercising enough, but if you’re worried it might be a vitamin B12 deficiency it may be worth speaking to your health care professional.