Vitamins & Minerals To Boost Your Energy & Brain Productivity

Sep 07, 2022

When you have a hectic day or lack energy, a vitamin or mineral supplement may help bring your energy levels back on track! Our bodies require plenty of vitamins and minerals to maintain energy production. They are a way to tell your brain, 'Hey, I need more energy! Start working! Scientists have found beneficial effects of vitamin and mineral supplements. Taking them could optimize brain activity faster than any healthy food. Discover the top nutrients for your energy and productivity!

When you strive to reach new career heights, juggling personal life and self-development, it's easy to forget about yourself. However, no reason is essential enough to sacrifice your well-being to it. If you don't have enough time to ensure your balanced diet, vitamin supplements can "fill your missing gaps." They will be your ultimate support when you want more energy, boost your immunity, promote brain function, and get the most out of each day.

Minerals are no less essential than vitamins when managing balanced nutrition. Some of them are present in significant amounts in foods you consume daily. Meanwhile, a few of them are scarce in a regular person's diet, so you may end up with deficiency unless taking them in a supplement form.

Vitamin C

You should know this vitamin as a traditional cold cure and a powerful immunity booster. And the research claims that's true, as vitamin C can reduce cold symptoms duration by 8%. It's one less day of being sick, which can benefit you as a career person if you want to get back to work quicker.

Vitamin C for energy

Aside from being an immunity strengthener, vitamin C is a powerful energy booster. With sufficient vitamin C, your body produces L-carnitine — an amino acid that helps turn fats into energy.

One study has shown that workers managed to reduce their tiredness up to 33% in two weeks by taking vitamin C daily. Another research has revealed that overweight adults have 55% less fatigue during exercise when taking vitamin C supplements daily.

orange juice in the glass

Thus, this vitamin supplement can give you more energy to live through the day and exercise for a longer time without fatigue.

Vitamin C for the brain

Vitamin C accelerates impulses transmission between neurons while maintaining their differentiation and maturation. Recent studies have discovered it has a solid connection to your nervous system. So vitamin C benefits don't limit just to immunity and energy support.

The survey found people with cognitive disorders have a significantly lower vitamin C level in the blood than cognitively intact ones. Besides, vitamin C is a collagen component, so it strengthens your blood vessels and maintains your cognitive function on a sufficient level.

Vitamin C supplements can enhance working and short-term memory and improve abstract thinking skills. Taking it can notably boost your work performance and achieve more on your career path.

Vitamin B12

This vitamin is chief among other micronutrients forming your body's red blood cells and DNA material. Moreover, according to the research, sufficient levels of vitamin B12 help to support bone health and avoid osteoporosis.

You can consume vitamin B12 with animal foods like meat, dairy, eggs, and poultry. It's a water-soluble micronutrient, so your body can't store it for long — that's the first reason you may face vitamin B12 deficiency. Another reason is that you may eat too few animal products.

For instance, vegans are at significant risk of becoming B12 deficient. Also, if you're trying to eat more veggies and less meat, you can lack vitamin B12. But be careful because B12 deficiency can lead to certain health disorders like depression, incontinence, anemia, and even memory loss.

orange and green vegetables on the table

Vitamin B12 for energy

Like all B-group vitamins, B12 is essential in transforming carbs into energy. Its deficiency can make you tired and weak even after good rest. A low level of B12 vitamin in your blood may affect your workouts, too, since you won't be able to perform strength training.

B12 is also a part of a healthy metabolism. If you lack it, your meals will digest slower, making you sluggish. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause anemia. This severe health disorder can impact productivity by making you short of breath, dizzy, and weak.

Taking vitamin B12 supplements help you keep your energy level will be stable during the day. Plus, it will help you get the most out of your meals.

Vitamin B12 for the brain

If you're facing constant stress at the workplace, consider taking B12 supplements, as they tend to relieve tension. The survey showed workers who take B12 supplements are less strained and confused when working. Vitamin B12 deficiency, in turn, can cause depression and worsen your mood. Thus maintaining this vitamin level is essential for those who are social-active at the workplace.

human brain toy photo

B12 level in blood also links to your memory and learning skills. A study discovered that people with vitamin B12 deficiency have poor memory performance and difficulties developing new skills.

Therefore, vitamin B12 supplements can help you keep your nervous system healthy and stay efficient in learning and memorizing.

Vitamin D

When it comes to building strong bones, vitamin D is virtually unbeatable. It's your body's primary assistant in absorbing calcium from foods to keep your teeth, bones, and muscles healthy. Vitamin D also has anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, reducing your risk of chronic diseases.

Although we can reach vitamin D anytime since it comes to us with straight sunlight, sitting in the office until the darkness can affect how much of this vitamin you get. Your body can get enough vitamin D also by eating certain mushrooms and oily fish. But those are not typical products in an average human ratio. Thus more people suffer from vitamin D deficiency over the years. According to the research, 20% of people fail to get enough vitamin D daily.

woman stands in front of sunshine

Vitamin D supplements are an outstanding choice if you spend most of your time indoors or live in northern areas. And when you lack this vitamin, your body's calcium level also decreases, making your bones more fragile and less dense. What's more terrific for a career person is that low vitamin D levels will eventually cause constant fatigue and depression, thus disrupting your productivity.

Vitamin D for energy

As for energy, vitamin D can influence how energized you're throughout the day. It refers to the vitamin's ability to support mitochondria (cells producing energy) to get enough oxygen from the blood and supply different body parts with energy.

The survey proved that vitamin D links to your energy level — taking D supplements could decrease fatigue and sleepiness. Another study confirms that people with high vitamin D levels in blood show better performance during workouts.

Taking vitamin D supplements can boost your muscle strength and function, make you more energized daily, and reduce tiredness

Vitamin D for the brain

Besides being a bone and energy supporter, vitamin D also affects how your brain is functioning. It maintains neuro transmitting and helps your body grow new nerves. Moreover, people with vitamin D deficiency are slower when processing further information.

Vitamin D deficiency can cause brain fog, making it harder for you to focus on a specific task. The study has discovered low vitamin D levels link to poor mental shifting and episodic memory. In turn, people with an optimal vitamin amount in the blood show better decision-making and reasoning results.

If you want a sharp mind and stand out from your colleagues by showing better results, try to take vitamin D supplements and boost your productivity.

Folic acid

Folic acid, or vitamin B9, is a helpful supplement for pregnant women. It lowers the risk of their future children having defects. Still, it has many benefits for a busy career person. Like other B-group vitamins, it maintains red blood cell production and DHA repair and synthesis.

Folic acid for energy

This vitamin is also a part of your body's energy-producing processes since it turns carbs into glucose. It also helps your body get more healthy fats and proteins with foods. With sufficient amounts of folic acid, your body can take more oxygen and, thus, improve your respiration and energy level.

smiling men

And as folic acid helps you form DNA, it helps grow a greater muscle mass when taken before workouts. Though, this vitamin deficiency can be harmful in terms of energy level. Lack of folic acid can be a reason for megaloblastic anemia — a cardiovascular disorder when your red blood cells become bigger than average. It can make you weak and tired easily, disturbing your productive attitude.

So taking folic acid supplements can help maintain effective energy metabolism and support your muscle mass.

Folic acid for the brain

Some studies show folic acid substantially impacts your mood and cognitive performance. A low level of folic acid may lead to depression, cognitive decline, and even dementia in older people. It causes anemia that can lead to Alzheimer's or cerebrovascular diseases, which are dangerous for your brain's productivity.

In turn, a sufficient amount of folic acid in the blood can bring benefits such as improved memory and faster information processing. When taken by people with severe depression, folic acid improves mood, alertness, and sociability. Meanwhile, this vitamin can slow down your brain aging by boosting your cognitive function and protecting your brain from memory losses.

Magnesium

This mineral is an ultimate eager beaver in regulating your body processes. It supports almost 30 enzyme systems responsible for blood sugar and pressure control, energy production, and bones developments. Still, many people face magnesium deficiency since some habits (like frequent drinking) or health disorders (for instance, diarrhea) lower its level in the body.

vegetables and nuts on the table

The first signs of low magnesium levels in your blood are tiredness, muscle spasms, and appetite loss. And when this mineral deficiency worsens, it can lead to severe health disorders like seizures, coronary spasms, and arrhythmia.

If you face a few symptoms mentioned below, it's worth doing a magnesium level test. If it shows lower than average, consider taking it as a supplement to normalize your body processes.

Magnesium for energy

Suppose you're looking for a supplement to boost your energy level in the long term without harming your body. In that case, magnesium is the remedy you need! This mineral is popular among athletes because it helps your body synthesize proteins and support muscle function.

Magnesium for the brain

This essential mineral also plays a crucial role in supporting your brain function. Studies show low magnesium levels can cause inflammation, migraines, and headaches. This mineral can be beneficial if you're facing depression — magnesium affects neurotransmitters to reduce symptoms and treat other mental disorders like chronic fatigue.

Moreover, magnesium, in combination with vitamin B6, can reduce anxiety, showing better results than some antidepressants. Taking magnesium will also help you boost your memory and improve your learning skills. It's incredibly beneficial when you want a promotion at work.

Magnesium is a natural antidepressant, effectively reducing anxiety and relieving depression and migraines. Plus, it can help you power up your brain by enhancing your learning skills and memory.

Calcium

a jar of milk

The most common fact about calcium is that it's the main mineral to build healthy bones and teeth. Plus, this mineral helps your body with hormonal secretion, maintaining your mood, digestion, and defense mechanisms — we can continue this list for a long time. But how can calcium help you when you're always busy?

Calcium for energy

Aside from supporting bones, a calcium supplement is a powerful muscle function booster. It's crucial for transmitting nerve impulses to the muscles and regulating their contractions. Besides, calcium is a part of effective fat metabolism, assisting your body in burning fats to get energy.

Thus, by taking calcium supplements, you can boost your muscles' endurance and become more energized while performing daily activities.

Calcium for the brain

However, calcium is beneficial in terms of bone and muscle support. This mineral helps your body transmit signals between nerves, improving your reaction speed and alertness. Furthermore, calcium supplements can normalize your blood pressure, ensure quality sleep, and calm your mind.

Zinc

Well-known as an immunity booster, zinc is a mineral that physicians prescribe as a supplement when your body is fighting diseases. Your body also uses zinc to create genetic materials in all cells. Meanwhile, more than 100 enzymes need zinc to perform essential chemical reactions.

Zinc for energy

Most people rarely think of zinc as an energy-boosting mineral. Still, this mineral's properties affect your body's energy-producing function. Chemical reactions conducted by enzymes need zinc to activate metabolism processes and turn foods into energy.

Moreover, you need zinc to have a good appetite since it maintains your smell and taste. If your body is zinc deficient, you can lose one of these vital senses and consume less food than you need to stay energized. Zinc also helps your body produce stomach acid and digest food effectively, which allows energy metabolism.

eggs, beans and other food on the table

Consume zinc supplements if you're facing a metabolism disorder or trouble with your appetite. It will aid you in maintaining a sufficient energy level for the whole day and let you keep up with any task.

Zinc for the brain

In addition to immunity and energy benefits, zinc can affect your cognitive function and stress level. Your brain uses zinc to deal with the dopamine — hormone and neurotransmitter responsible for motivation, attention, learning capabilities, and movement.

Although zinc deficiency is a dangerous state that can lead to depression and other mood disorders that disrupt your daily productivity. This essential mineral also has neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects of maintaining your brain health and performance on a sufficient level.

When you need to boost your brain endurance by solving a complicated issue or find it hard to concentrate, a zinc supplement is here to help you.

Iron

grey tablets on the table

You should know iron for its blood-related properties — your body uses this mineral to create hemoglobin. It's a protein of your red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body and promotes energy metabolism. Iron is also involved in the hormone creation process. Although, don't underestimate its energy and brain-boosting properties.

Many foods in our diets, like fortified breakfast cereals, spinach, or liver, are rich in iron. But our bodies fail to get all the iron from our meals — that's the most common reason why so many people (almost 25% of the people worldwide) have iron deficiency.

The low iron level links to overall weakness, impaired brain performance, low immunity, and poor concentration. If you lack iron, you'll find it hard to exercise and work efficiently and face constant headaches and migraines.

Iron for energy

As an oxygen "carrier," iron is a vital mineral in your body. This mineral deficiency causes a low level of hemoglobin. Thus, a severe heart disorder called anemia strongly impairs your daily performance. During anemia, you're low on energy, have sudden attacks of weakness, and have constant tiredness, making it hard for you to focus and think clearly.

Meanwhile, iron helps maintain your muscles' function — it supplies them with the necessary oxygen to contract. Studies also claim iron deficiency causes insomnia and sleep disturbances, so you will get enough sleep without medications by taking iron supplements. The survey shows that a slight iron deficiency accounts for a 5% greater energy cost to manage the task than a person with an average iron level.

Iron for the brain

Lack of iron in your blood can immediately affect your cognitive performance no matter how much sleep or food you get. It disturbs your focus, causes headaches, and makes you easily irritable. Though, with sufficient iron levels in the blood, you'll find it easy to perform cognitive tasks that include spatial processing or reasoning.

Moreover, researchers prove people with iron deficiency have reduced work productivity compared to individuals with normal iron levels. Another study says that taking iron supplements when lacking this mineral can boost your performance up to 20%.

So if you want to achieve more on your career path, iron supplements are among the top natural remedies to stay energized and productive throughout the day.