In the world of supplementation, B vitamins are surrounded by a particular mythos, promising to give you that ever-elusive energy boost you’ve been looking for. Many articles you’ll find online promise that this singular supplement could be the solution to your fatigue.
But what if you’re already supplementing with B vitamins and you’re still feeling just as tired---or, worse, even more tired than before? Something isn’t adding up.
What you may not know is that too much of certain supplements can potentially cause you to feel worse rather than better. While it is important to fill gaps in your diet through supplementation, it’s also important not to overdo it. This can be a frustratingly delicate balance to strike.
If you’re feeling tired and you’re concerned that vitamin B might have something to do with it, here’s what you need to know about B-complex supplements and their relationship to fatigue.
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Why do people take vitamin B supplements?
First of all, let’s define what exactly “vitamin B” means. It’s important to note that this is actually an umbrella term that includes eight different vitamins, each of which plays its own specific role in your overall health. While some people take B-complex supplements with all eight vitamins in one pill, there are also supplement options that only contain one or a few of the B types.
What do B vitamins do?
While each B vitamin serves its own purpose, they also work together to facilitate important biological processes. These are the basics of the eight Bs:
- Vitamin B1, also known as thiamine, supports your metabolism by helping you create energy from food.
- Riboflavin is B2, and it also helps your body derive energy from food. Beyond that, it acts as an antioxidant that removes free radicals from the body and helps prevent disease.
- Vitamin B3 (niacin) aids in converting food into energy while also supporting fundamental processes the body needs to heal and operate on a basic level.
- B5 is pantothenic acid, which helps the body to produce energy from the food you eat. It also supports cholesterol and hormone production.
- Pyridoxine, commonly known as B6, is critical for the immune and nervous systems as well as metabolic processes.
- Biotin (vitamin B7) is yet another metabolism supporter, and it’s sometimes called the “hair and nail” supplement because it can help stimulate keratin production.
- Folate is vitamin B9. It’s critical for healthy cell growth, white/red blood cell production, and amino acid metabolism.
- B12, or cobalamin, is probably the most talked-about B-vitamin. It prevents conditions that make you feel tired and weak in addition to supporting neurological health and DNA production.
As you can see, there’s a common thread tying the various B vitamins together: they support your body’s energy production and other baseline functions.
Who needs vitamin B supplements?
Before you rush to add B supplements to your vitamin regimen, you should know that most people who eat a well-rounded diet actually get enough vitamin B from their food. The eight Bs are available in a wide variety of animal- and plant-based food sources, and insufficient vitamin B levels aren’t as common as information online might lead you to believe.
That said, there are certain groups of people that are more prone to a B deficiency, including:
- Pregnant and breastfeeding people
- Older adults
- People with certain digestive or autoimmune conditions like HIV, Crohn’s disease, and Celiac disease
The noteworthy exception here is B12, which is found only in meat and animal products. For that reason, it’s a more common nutrient deficiency, and those who stick to a strict vegetarian or vegan diet are at risk of not getting enough B12 from their food.
Can too much vitamin B negatively affect energy levels?
The good news is that B-vitamin overdoses are rare. These vitamins are water-soluble, meaning your body should get rid of excess through your urine. For this reason, vitamin B is generally considered safe in large doses, even if you don’t technically have a deficiency to begin with.
As it turns out, the most important factor to consider with vitamin B is actually when you take it rather than how much you take.
Research indicates that the ideal time to take vitamin B is in the morning, and in fact, taking it in the afternoon or before bed can actually interfere with your sleep.
Think about it this way: if you’re taking B vitamins to feel less tired and more energetic, then it doesn’t make sense to take them before bed, because that isn’t the time of day when you need energy. Plus, the resulting disruptions to your sleep cycle might leave you feeling more fatigued than you did before.
Other common causes of fatigue
If it isn’t too much vitamin B causing your exhaustion, then what is it?
There are many potential causes of fatigue, including various health conditions, medication side effects, sleep disorders, and lifestyle factors. Following are some of the most common:
- Anemia
- Depression and anxiety
- Poor nutrition
- Lack of exercise
- Celiac disease and other digestive disorders
- Sleep apnea and other sleep disturbances
- Hypothyroidism
- Diabetes
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
But here’s the problem: with so many possible sources of chronic tiredness, how do you know which one is affecting you? And what if the root cause is multifaceted?
The best way to get answers is through concrete data rather than a guess-and-check style of supplementation. Personalized lab testing can give you the specifics on nutrients that might be missing from your diet, potential hormone imbalances, or any other underlying issues.
Overcoming fatigue is a personal journey
When it comes down to it, there’s no straightforward, universal answer for why you might be feeling so tired.
It could be a vitamin B deficiency or a matter of taking your supplements at the wrong time of day. It could be anemia, depression, sleep disturbances, or other conditions that stem from vitamin deficiencies. It could be something else entirely.
That’s how a service like Base can help: to clear up confusion and pinpoint the actual root causes of your health issues. With personal health knowledge, you can be empowered to make the changes needed to feel your best, whether that’s making lifestyle adjustments or adding new supplements to your routine.
Struggling with fatigue?
Take our quiz to build a bespoke testing plan that will help you beat fatigue.
