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As an anti-aging vitamin, B12 won’t really turn back the hands of time, but it will help to delay many of the symptoms of aging. Vitamin B12 is one of many essential nutrients that keeps you feeling sharp, energetic and on top of the world. Find out what vitamin B12, the anti-aging vitamin can do for you.

There’s no end to the amazing health-giving properties of vitamin B12 (cobalamin), a member of the B vitamin complex group of nutrients.

Vitamin B12 adds energy

To start, vitamin B12 regulates production of red blood cells.  Without enough vitamin B12 to oversee development, your red blood cells would emerge large and misshapen- in no condition to supply much-needed oxygen throughout the zillions of cells in your body. As a result, mornings feel sluggish, and by midday you’re too wiped out to even think about what’s for dinner.

If you’re thinking that it’s not normal to feel this old when you’re still so young, then you’re right. Chronic fatigue from vitamin B12 deficiency is often a sign that you’re not getting enough oxygen. Get your vitamin B12 stores back to normal, replenish red blood cell production, and then kick-start the anti-aging vitamin properties of vitamin B12 for more energy.

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Think young

In addition to feeling tired all the time, vitamin B12 deficiency also ruins your memory, gives you “brain fog.” You used to be able to summon words for things quickly, any word, without having to think about it. Now, you could spend half an hour trying to remember where the Pope lives. (It’s the Vatican.)

This is by far one of the most debilitating, geriatric-type symptoms of not having enough anti-aging vitamin B12 in your body.

Vitamin B12 for quick reflexes

Vitamin B12 also affects your nerves; by helping your body produce myelin (think of it as Teflon for nerve cells), vitamin B12 keeps your nervous system running smoothly without a hitch. With vitamin B12 deficiency, your myelin coating slowly diminishes, leaving your nerve cells vulnerable to harm and communication breakdown.

As a result, your reflexes become slower, and you start to feel aches and pains associated with old age.  You may feel painful numbness in your fingertips whenever you try to hold up a book to read, or find yourself hopping on one leg just to relieve the dreadful “pins and needles” you get after sitting for too long.  Your digestion starts to malfunction, and you find yourself tripping often, as your motor skills deteriorate.

Is Vitamin B12 the Secret to the Fountain of Youth?

It’s not too late to get more anti-aging vitamin B12 into your blood supply, to build up your myelin shield, and prevent nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy) from vitamin B12 deficiency.

Anti-aging vitamin regimen

In order to get that youthful feeling back, you need to get your vitamin B12 levels back to normal. Many people opt for vitamin B12 injections or sublingual pills, as prescribed by their doctors. However, other types of vitamin B12, available without prescription, can efficiently replenish your vitamin B12 supplies without the need for painful needles or endless pills throughout the day. Look for non-edible vitamin B12 for maximum absorption and optimal brain health.

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Balancing blood sugar levels with diabetes can be tricky- If you have diabetes and vitamin B12 deficiency, then you need to stick to a healthy treatment plan that will help you maintain a healthy response to insulin and boost energy naturally, without the need for metformin. That’s because certain medications, including metformin, interfere with your body’s ability to digest vitamin B12 (cobalamin), resulting in fatigue, memory loss, and painful numbness in the hands and feet. Here are some tips for managing diabetes and vitamin B12 deficiency.

Why you need vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that your body relies on for many important functions:

Vitamin B12 aids in DNA synthesis, thus maintaining production of healthy red blood cells that deliver oxygen to all the other cells of your body.

If you have diabetes and vitamin B12 deficiency, then you may feel exhausted all day, disoriented, and forgetful. By maintaining healthy vitamin B12 levels, you effectively increase energy and enhance cognitive skills.

Take your Vitamin B12, and other Diabetes Management Tips

Vitamin B12 is also essential for your entire nervous system, as it helps to maintain myelin, a fatty substance that coats your nerve cells, protecting them from harm and enhancing intercellular communication.

If you have diabetes and vitamin B12 deficiency, then you’re twice as likely to suffer from peripheral neuropathy, symptoms of nerve damage that occur both with vitamin B12 deficiency and diabetes. Symptoms include painful tingling in the extremities (hands, feet, and tongue), frequent numbness, muscle spasms, eye twitches, diarrhea, indigestion, and difficulty swallowing food.

Mortality risks of vitamin B12 deficiency

Over time, if vitamin B12 deficiency progresses, then you risk suffering life-threatening illnesses. Though pernicious anemia (one form of vitamin B12 deficiency) is no longer classified as a fatal disease, there are recently documented cases of infants diagnosed with pernicious anemia who failed to thrive. If you are pregnant or nursing, then it’s crucial to check your vitamin B12 levels, especially if you already suffer from diabetes.

Vitamin B12 helps your body regulate homocysteine levels, a hormone associated with increased risk for heart attack and stroke. By preventing symptoms of diabetes and vitamin B12 deficiency, then you effectively promote cardiovascular health.

Tips for treating diabetes- naturally!

Since many symptoms of diabetes and vitamin B12 are similar, it’s important to supplement with mega-doses of vitamin B12 regularly, in order to prevent depletion.

For optimum results, avoid dietary vitamin B12 pills, and opt instead for vitamin B12 supplements that dispense cobalamin directly into the blood stream- many of which are available over-the-counter (OTC).

In addition to taking plenty of vitamin B12, also include vitamin D, which helps to regulate your reaction to insulin.

Avoid taking metformin, if you can. Metformin is highly correlated with vitamin B12 malabsorption, a condition that always leads to dangerously low levels of vitamin B12 serum levels.

Avoid foods with a high glycemic index rating.

Eat high-fiber foods for better glucose tolerance. Psyllium seed is a natural source for dietary fiber that improves digestive health and aids in managing diabetes and vitamin B12 deficiency.

Exercise- studies show that daily low-impact aerobic workouts reduce stress, help you manage your weight, and increase energy.

For maintaining a healthy insulin response, take Alpha Lipoic Acid.

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Vitamin B12 deficiency fatigue makes it difficult to get anything done- by noonish, you’re already wiped out and ready to call it a day and hit the sack. If you’re already taking vitamin B12 supplements, then you’re off to a great start. Here are some foods that you can eat to put an end to mid-day vitamin B12 deficiency fatigue.

Shellfish

Vitamin B12 occurs naturally in all animal-based proteins such as meat, fish, and dairy products, but the richest sources of vitamin B12 are in shellfish, particularly crabs, clams, and mussels.  Small servings of rich crabmeat provide enough vitamin B12 to fight fatigue, maintain healthy red blood cells, and protect the nervous system.

Icelandic yogurt

Not Greek yogurt, but also a great source of vitamin B12, Icelandic yogurt packs three times more milk than regular yogurt. Rich in easily-digested non-fat milk proteins, thick creamy Icelandic yogurt is easier on the stomach and won’t put on the pounds.  To fight vitamin B12 deficiency fatigue, start off the day with an energizing yogurt parfait mixed with berries and granola.

Will Vitamin B12 Boost Energy if I don’t have B12 Deficiency? YES!

Watermelon

As if you needed a reason to indulge fresh, sweet watermelon or honeydew, researchers have noted that in addition to packing essential vitamins and minerals, melons also provide enough water to keep you hydrated throughout the day. In fact, the combination of 90% water and nutrients such as potassium make watermelon the perfect food stuff to fight fatigue from vitamin B12 deficiency and dehydration.

Walnuts

Sometimes, symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can make it difficult to sleep well at night. Restless legs, painful numbness, and anxiety cause you to lose sleep, making you feel fatigued and sleepy the next day. Another reason for vitamin B12 deficiency fatigue involves melatonin, as your body relies on vitamin B12 for regulating hormone levels.  In order to promote restful sleep, snack on raw walnuts between meals. Just a small handful provides enough melatonin to help your body maintain a healthy sleep response, so you wake up feeling rested and refreshed.

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Among the many ailments attributed to low vitamin B12, scientists are studying the possibility of vitamin B12 deficiency as a cause for chronic cough. Add to that list a number of debilitating conditions already associated with vitamin B12 deficiency, such as fatigue, memory loss, and “pins and needles” sensations. If you frequently battle with cold symptoms like sneezing and sore throat, you may need to consider vitamin B12 deficiency as a cause for chronic cough, as well.

According to the Italian study conducted by the University of Turin and Mauriziano Hospital, researchers examined 302 patients suffering from chronic cough, including symptoms such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever), cough reflex sensitivity, and gastroesophageal reflux disorder.

Based on the theory that chronic cough may be a form of sensory neuropathy, scientists prepared to prove vitamin B12 deficiency as a cause for chronic cough.  About 15% of participants had no known cause for chronic cough. After submitting to vitamin B12 blood tests, 25 of the 40 sufferers of idiopathic chronic cough discovered they also had vitamin B12 deficiency.

Vitamin B12 is necessary for many important bodily functions, not the least of which is supporting a healthy nervous system. Vitamin B12 aids in maintaining myelin, a fatty substance that coats each individual nerve cell, protecting it from harm and enhancing cellular communication in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Without enough vitamin B12, your myelin sheath diminishes, causing damaged or depleted nerve cells in the central and peripheral nervous system.

Symptoms of peripheral nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy) from vitamin B12 deficiency include:

• Slower reflexes
• Painful numbness and tingling in the extremities
• Poor motor skills
• Difficulty swallowing
• Altered sense of taste
• Muscle spasms
• Sore, red tongue

Since the cough reflex is regulated by your peripheral nervous system, scientists conclude that vitamin B12 deficiency as a cause for chronic cough may be a sign of peripheral neuropathy.

The findings for this report were presented at the World Allergy Organization XXI World Allergy Congress.

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Unexplained chronic cough and vitamin B-12 deficiency

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How do you know if you’re absorbing vitamin B12? Just because you eat plenty of foods that are rich in vitamin B12 (cobalamin), that doesn’t mean you’re getting all the B12 you need for great health. Sometimes, things happen that interfere with your ability to digest vitamin B12, creating an obstacle to absorbing vitamin B12 naturally. This happens more often than you realize…

Why you need to take vitamin B12

You may be asking yourself, “Doesn’t my body produce vitamin B12 on its own? It makes lots of other vitamins.”

The short answer is, “No.” While you are able to store plenty of vitamin B12 in your liver for years to come, your body relies on a constant influx of vitamin B12 from dietary sources like lean beef, chicken, fish, and dairy foods, which it then uses to sustain energy levels, maintain a healthy nervous system, and regulate hormones.

The long answer is more complicated. This constant replenishment of vitamin B12 into your blood supply relies on intrinsic factor for absorbing vitamin B12 and carrying it through the digestive system. As long as you are always able to break down vitamin B12, then you are all right. However, if you are among a large percentage of people who cannot produce the intrinsic factor enzyme, then you must supplement constantly with vitamin B12 supplements, in order to prevent vitamin B12 deficiency.

What is vitamin B12 deficiency?

Whenever you’re not absorbing vitamin B12, you’re drawing it from your liver. Eventually, this store of essential vitamin B12 runs out, and you begin to notice the effects of vitamin B12.

The initial symptoms of vitamin B12 include:

• Severe fatigue
• “Brain fog” disorientation
• Memory loss
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Painful tingling and numbness in the extremities, such as hands and feet
• Sore, red tongue

Over time, if untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to severe neurological damage and a gradual depletion of red blood cells. Also, since vitamin B12 helps to regulate homocysteine, a hormone linked with heart attack and stroke, your risk for cardiovascular disease may increase. In rare occasions, infants solely breastfed by vegan mothers not absorbing vitamin B12 show signs of failure to thrive and feebleness.

What causes vitamin B12 malabsorption?

Many different factors can keep you from absorbing vitamin B12 naturally from foods.

They include:

• Family history for pernicious anemia
• History for autoimmune disorder, such as fibromyalgia or celiac disease
• Damage to the digestive system caused by acid reflux, vomiting, or diarrhea
• Gastrointestinal disorders, such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
• Gastrointestinal surgery, such as bariatric surgery or ileostomy
• Medications, such as PPIs for GERD, or metformin for diabetes
• Old age
• Alcoholism

Absorbing Vitamin B12, a Metabolic Gastrointestinal Journey

Treating vitamin B12 malabsorption

If you’re not absorbing vitamin B12, then it’s important to understand which kinds of vitamin B12 supplements to take, and which ones to avoid.

Most likely, your doctor will prescribe vitamin B12 shots. These are helpful, as they dispense vitamin B12 directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the need for absorbing vitamin B12 in the stomach.

Certain side effects of vitamin B12 shots are, obviously, pain, as cobalamin requires insertion into the thick fleshy tissue behind the thigh. Sometimes, bruising may occur.

Vitamin B12 shots are also often impractical. In most states, vitamin B12 injections require a prescription, and doctors are sometimes hesitant to prescribe enough monthly doses to relieve all the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.

Instead, many patients opt to supplement with extra vitamin B12 on their own.  Certain inexpensive over-the-counter (OTC) vitamin B12 supplements are helpful for “topping off” vitamin B12 between shots. For optimum health and relief from symptoms, find non-dietary vitamin B12 supplements that distribute cobalamin directly into the bloodstream, not through the digestive system.

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Some important things to know about vitamin B12 and potassium involve absorption of vitamin B12. People with either vitamin B12 deficiency (pernicious anemia) or potassium deficiency (hypokalemia) must understand about this crucial link between vitamin B12 and potassium supplements, in order to prevent severe ailments.

Vitamin B12 and potassium

Patients of potassium deficiency who take potassium chloride for an extended period run the risk for developing vitamin B12 depletion, as potassium supplements interfere with your ability to absorb vitamin B12 and dispense it into your bloodstream. For this reason, doctors don’t recommend taking vitamin B12 and potassium together for a long period.

Your body has a limited amount of vitamin B12, which is stored in the liver. Healthy people constantly add to this supply of vitamin B12 whenever they eat meat or fish. But if you have potassium deficiency, and go on a long-term regimen of potassium supplements, then the vitamin B12 cycle is interrupted, and your body is forced to draw vitamin B12 from the liver.

Over time, as vitamin B12 malabsorption continues, you develop vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms that could, eventually, cause irreversible neurological damage and ailments like fatigue, memory loss, muscular pain, and mobility disorders.

Vitamin B12 malabsorption

Vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the most common types of malnourishment, and it strikes people of all ages. In most cases, it is caused by vitamin B12 malabsorption, or the inability to digest vitamin B12 in the stomach. Causes of vitamin B12 depletion, in such cases, may include lifestyle changes, comorbid illnesses, or medications, like potassium, and vitamin B12 levels drop severely.

Absorbing Vitamin B12, a Metabolic Gastrointestinal Journey

Vitamin B12 deficiency

Your body needs vitamin B12 for many important biological functions; your body relies on adequate amounts of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) for producing healthy red blood cells, converting carbohydrates into energy, protecting the nervous system, and maintaining cognitive skills.

Vitamin B12 occurs naturally in all animal-based foods, such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy products. Foods highest in vitamin B12 include organ meats, shellfish, halibut, and chicken. If you follow a strict vegan diet, then you are susceptible for vitamin B12 deficiency, unless you take weekly vitamin B12 supplementation.

Still, many non-vegans are at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency, as certain factors may inhibit your ability to absorb vitamin B12 from the foods you eat. This is where the vitamin B12 and potassium connection lies.

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Am I Getting Enough Vitamin B12?

Vitamin B12: the Energy Elixir

References:

Potassium Supplementation and B-12 Deficiency

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Energy drinks containing vitamin B12 and other nutrients are on every shelf, promising to increase stamina, boost metabolism, and ward off every disease known to modern medicine. What’s the deal? Do they even work? Here are the bare facts about health claims with energy drinks.

“It’s un-B-lievable!”

Vitamin B12 is beneficial for sustaining a healthy metabolism, increasing stamina, supporting neurological health, supporting cognitive functioning, and aiding your body in delivering oxygen through healthy red blood cells.

So, it’s no wonder that many energy drink manufacturers have jumped on the B12 vitamin bandwagon, promising to help you lose weight, boost your metabolism, and rejuvenate. Is it all hype?

B12 is everywhere- almost

Vitamin B12 is in most foods that you probably eat every day. Unless you’re a vegan, then you consume adequate amounts of vitamin B12 in meat, fish, milk, cheese, and eggs.

Likewise, energy drinks containing vitamin B12 don’t necessarily provide you with more B12 than you would eat in an average day, anyways.

You can’t drink this

When people use vitamin B12 for stamina or neurological health, it’s usually because they can’t digest vitamin B12 naturally from foods, and need to supplement in order to avoid vitamin B12 deficiency.

Symptoms of which produce fatigue, depression, memory loss, confusion, and difficulty concentrating.  (Beginning to see a connection here?)

In such cases, vitamin B12 is taken through non-dietary means, most often as vitamin B12 shots.

Not a vitamin B12 shot glass.

Will Vitamin B12 Boost Energy if I don’t have B12 Deficiency? YES!

So yes, supplementing with vitamin B12 does help you with stamina, mental focus, and normal metabolic excellence. But to get the health benefits, trying to drink vitamin B12 is a fruitless endeavor.

“Energize-ade will rev you up!”

Does any of this sound familiar? “Drink Energiz-ade and you’ll be able to think clearer, stay alert longer, and fight off fatigue, even after hours of studying or staying up all night partying!”

That’s not a real ad, but a close approximation to what you see on most labels for energy drinks.

The other vitamin C

What’s the secret ingredient? It’s no secret, actually- it’s simple caffeine. They may flood the ingredient label with other natural ingredients like paw-paw extract, Chinese ginseng, or purified aloe juice, but rest assured, it’s the caffeine that jerks you awake and gets your heart pumping.

So, if you’ve got no objection to using caffeine to fuel stamina, then go ahead and splurge on a cold energy drink, only keep some things in mind:

The down side

You’re gonna crash. Because caffeine gives a temporary boost of stamina- one that’s gained by tweaking your nervous system, the jittery high you get is temporary, lasting at best a few hours.

And what goes up, has to come down.

Once the caffeine effect wears off, you feel fatigued and headachy. This is the standard aftereffect- one that people sometimes resolve by drinking more energy drinks.

And so the cycle of addiction continues.

“Obey your thirst!”

A lot of sports drinks deliver electrolytes, which is fancy terminology for sodium, potassium, and chloride all in one drink.

Prepare for a shocker…

It’s true that you sweat a lot while exercising, and that you need to replace those nutrients in order to avoid dehydration symptoms like fatigue, dizziness, and headaches.

In that respect, energy drinks infused with electrolytes work. Know what else works?

Water, and a healthy diet. Or even just an average diet.

The truth is, if you eat food (and we’re assuming you do) and drink water, then you don’t need an energy drink to replenish those minerals excreted through perspiration.

Unless you think you need all those extra calories, sugar, and artificial ingredients, you’re better off just sticking with good old-fashioned H2O.

Please tell us…

If you consume energy drinks each day, how likely are you to stop after reading this article?

What forms of vitamin B12 do you currently use?

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

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Managing diabetes requires more than just watching your sugar intake- many other factors like exercise, eating habits, and supplementing with nutrients like vitamin B12 are important with diabetes, as well. Here are some tips for diabetes management and reducing your risk for diabetes.

Got metformin?

Metformin is a popular diabetes drug, but it has side effects. Over time, metformin inhibits your ability to absorb vitamin B12 from natural food sources such as meat, fish, and eggs.

You might not notice the effects of vitamin B12 deficiency until it is too late, because the earliest signs don’t occur until vitamin B12 serum levels are at a severe low.

Am I Getting Enough Vitamin B12?

Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are sometimes mistaken for diabetic neuropathy, both of which affect the nervous system; for that reason, vitamin B12 deficiency is often overlooked in diabetics.

Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include:

• Painful tingling in the extremities (hands, arms, feet, and legs)
• Temporary numbness
• “Pins and needles”
• Burning mouth sensation
• Altered sense of taste
• Eye twitches
• Tremors
• Difficulty walking
• Chronic fatigue
• Depression
• Short-term memory loss
• Anxiety

A blood test can diagnose vitamin B12 deficiency, but the best indicator is simply the occurrence of symptoms. Only weekly supplementation can get your vitamin B12 levels back to normal.

Other ways to manage diabetes

Every year, scientists discover new methods of preventing your chances of getting diabetes and reducing the symptoms in people diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Here are more tips that doctors now recommend:

• Eat brown rice. According to the latest research, choosing brown over white reducing our risk of getting type 2 diabetes and promotes healthy weight management. The opposite is true of white rice- by making white rice a staple of your diet, you increase your odds of suffering from diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
• Avoid statins. This cholesterol-lowering drug may reduce your risk for heart attack, but it also increases your chances of becoming diabetic.
• Drink water. By drinking at least 64 ounces of water per day, you effectively help your body regulate your blood sugar level.
• Stay active. Scientific research confirms that exercising each day not only helps you lose weight, it also keeps you from getting diabetes and suffering from a heart attack.

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It’s hard to describe fibromyalgia (FMS) pain, as there are so many different ways that it affects your body.  Nerve pain from vitamin B12 deficiency, which occurs often with fibromyalgia, causes numbness and sharp “pins and needles” sensations.  Being able to explain fibromyalgia pain to your doctor is essential for finding the right therapy. Here are some clues to help you identify the type of fibromyalgia symptoms you’re experiencing.

Hyperalgesia fibromyalgia pain

Hyperalgesia refers to a hyperactive response to pain (algesia).  With fibromyalgia, pain signals are amplified. What would normally score a “2” on the pain Richter scale for others might peak to a “5” or “6” for a fibromyalgia patient. This occurs as a result of nerve cells that overreact to pain triggers.

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RX: Drugs like Lyrica and Cymbalta are often prescribed to treat nerve pain from fibromyalgia.  Vitamin B12 is also helpful for preventing destruction of nerve cells.

Allodynia fibromyalgia pain

Similar to Hyperalgesia, allodynia is also an overreaction to sensors that causes immense nerve pain. Only instead of amplifying common pain triggers, allodynia produces a pain response to mild sensations such as the touch of a wool blanket or a chill breeze.

Tactile allodynia can feel like sunburn. Only instead of being caused by overexposure to the sun’s rays, it can be triggered by gentle pressure, such as a snug blouse.

Mechanical allodynia is similar, but caused by movement over your skin, such as a backrub.

Thermal allodynia is a pain response to moderate hot or cold temperatures.

Other people who may suffer from allodynia are people with peripheral neuropathy, such as occurs in pernicious anemia from vitamin B12 deficiency, a comorbid condition with fibromyalgia.

Chronically Pained? Here’s your Essential Chronic Pain Checklist…

RX: Topical lotions like Tiger Balm and capsaicin may provide temporary relief from allodynia pain.  Prescription drugs may include Tramadol, Lidocaine, or morphine, depending on the pain severity.

It’s worth noting that if vitamin B12 deficiency occurs with fibromyalgia, long-term supplementation with vitamin B12 is required for complete treatment of nerve pain.

Paresthesia fibromyalgia pain

Paresthesia is a type of nerve pain that makes your skin “crawl.” That’s the best description that fibromyalgia patients offer to sum up the painful prickling, burning, and numbness experienced with paresthesia.

Besides fibromyalgia, other causes of paresthesia are peripheral neuropathy from vitamin B12 deficiency, multiple sclerosis, and migraines.

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RX: Certain antidepressants like SSRIs and SNRIs may help to reduce paresthesia nerve pain.

Also, as vitamin B12 is essential for protecting the nerve cells, many fibromyalgia patients who receive prescription vitamin B12 shots see a significant improvement after a short time.

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Are you always tired, day in, day out? If you’ve been experiencing constant fatigue that doesn’t go away, you might need to see a doctor, pronto. It’s possible that vitamin B12 supplements, a change in diet, or prescription medication will get your energy levels back to normal.  Here’s a quick rundown of 30 illnesses, emotional disorders, and lifestyle habits that cause people to be tired all the time. Some obvious fatigue causes may fall under the “duh” category, but a few others may surprise you…

Causes of constant fatigue:

• 1.Vitamin B12 deficiency: Vitamin B12 occurs in protein foods like beef, chicken, and fish, but even meat-eaters are susceptible to getting vitamin B12 deficiency, a condition that causes fatigue, absentmindedness, and depression, among other physical and cognitive impairments. To find out if you have vitamin B12 deficiency, ask your doctor for a blood test. If vitamin B12 deficiency is the cause of your fatigue, then you will likely need to take weekly vitamin B12 shots.
• 2. Anemia: In some cases, fatigue from vitamin B12 deficiency results from pernicious anemia, an illness that occurs when your body is unable to make intrinsic factor, a digestive enzyme required for digesting vitamin B12. Iron anemia is also another cause of constant sleepiness during the day.
• 3. Fibromyalgia: Fibromyalgia is an autoimmune disorder that causes a hyperactive response to pain sensors in its sufferers. Fibromyalgia patients experience chronic fatigue, muscular and joint pain in specific areas, and gastrointestinal problems. Vitamin B12 deficiency also correlates highly with fibromyalgia.
• 4. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): Similar to fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome is also an autoimmune disorder causing extreme tiredness and excruciating pain, although not limited to certain pain points in the body. With CFS, patients feel tired and achy from morning to evening, even if they sleep well and avoid overexerting themselves physically.
• 5. Diabetes: Patients of diabetes often suffer from fatigue as a result of sugar remaining in the bloodstream, instead of being converted into energy. Medications, exercise, and diabetes management is required in order to avoid afternoon burnout.
• 6. Hypothyroidism: An underactive thyroid, as in hypothyroidism, will cause you to feel sluggish, slow, and always fatigued. “Brain fog” is a common symptom of hypothyroidism. Hormone therapy is required to thyroid disorders.
• 7. Hyperthyroidism: The opposite of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism is what happens when you produce too much thyroxine, causing jitteriness, heart palpitations, and anxiety. Surprisingly, fatigue is also a side effect of this thyroid disorder.
• 8. Heart disease: It’s worthy of noting that undiagnosed heart disease is sometimes the cause of constant tiredness during the day. If heart disease runs in the family, then notify your doctor if you feel fatigue that lasts for days.
• 9. Acute liver failure: Fatigue is one of many symptoms of organ malfunctioning, including the liver.
• 10. Chronic kidney failure: Kidney failure also causes daytime fatigue.
• 11. Sleep apnea: Sometimes, undiagnosed sleep apnea keeps you from getting enough quality sleep during the night. If you always wake up tired, despite going to sleep early, then consult your physician.
• 12. Restless legs syndrome: Like sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome is another condition that causes you to lose sleep and feel tired during the day.
• 13. Emphysema: Fatigue is one of many detrimental side effects of this dangerous illness.
• 14. Menopause: Menopause may cause unusual tiredness.
• 15. Pregnancy: Pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester, is a common cause of fatigue in women.
• 16. Alcohol abuse: Alcoholism destroys the body’s organs, causes mood disorders, damages the nervous system, and causes chronic fatigue.
• 17. Statins: In recent studies, the use of cholesterol-lowering statins is linked with low sports endurance and constant tiredness.
• 18. Prescription painkillers: Side effects of some prescription painkillers include fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and brain fog.
• 19. Cough medicines: Many cough medicines and antihistamines cause extreme fatigue, even the ones labeled “non-drowsiness” formula.
• 20. Blood pressure medications: Fatigue is a common side effect of some blood pressure medications.
• 21. Certain antidepressants: Sometimes, certain antidepressants may cause chronic fatigue in its users.
• 22. Depression: Tiredness, sluggish thinking, and deep sadness that last for weeks are all common indicators of severe depression.
• 23. Stress: Long-term stress causes nervous tension that leads to overwhelming fatigue.
• 24. Grief: With the death of a loved one, grief causes feelings of sadness, despair, and extreme tiredness.
• 25. Obesity: Many current studies blame morbid obesity for increasing occurrences of chronic fatigue.
• 26. Sugar: Eating a diet high in processed sugars and carbohydrates is a source of daytime fatigue for many people. To avoid a sugar “crash and burn,” avoid sugary drinks and candies, and opt instead for plain seltzers flavored with fruit juice and whole food snacks like dates and frozen grapes.
• 27. Caffeine: Like sugar consumption, overdoing it with caffeinated drinks causes daytime fatigue for many. A good rule of thumb is limiting to only one or two cups of coffee per day.
• 28. Inactivity: Even if you eat a healthy diet, lack of exercise is likely to cause constant fatigue and health problems like obesity and heart disease. To avoid constant tiredness, include at least 30 minutes of exercise at least 4 times per week.
• 29. Excessive activity: What goes up must go down, and the same goes for energy levels. Overexerting yourself with too-frequent exercise wears you out, both physically and emotionally.
• 30. Not getting enough quality sleep: This one is obvious, but still worth mentioning. Many people think they’re getting enough sleep, and are surprised to find that they’re still tired during the day. Surprisingly, even one hour of extra nighttime sleep is enough to avoid the afternoon slump.

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Sources:

Study: Statins May Be Linked to Fatigue

Obesity, Depression Linked to Daytime Sleepiness

Fatigue Causes

Why Am I So Tired? 10 Possible Causes of Fatigue

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