Foods to improve tiredness and fatigue

Diet to overcome tiredness, fatigue, or mental and muscular exhaustion

DIET TO OVERCOME TIREDNESS AND FATIGUE

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What foods are suitable for overcoming tiredness and fatigue?

The diet to overcome tiredness and fatigue consists of a balanced diet, in which it is recommended to increase or enhance those foods rich in nutrients that are involved in improving physical and intellectual performance. 

It is advisable that people subjected to a lot of stress, exercise, or who must make efforts of this type, introduce some of the following foods in their diet regularly.

When a state of exhaustion or general fatigue appears for a long time, it is necessary to visit a doctor to determine that there is no other possible cause of this tiredness, such as an iron deficiency or anemia, digestive diseases, or other causes.

Nutrients for tiredness and fatigue

In general, among the nutrients that help improve fatigue we can mention:

• Proteins: Proteins are components of stress hormones, neurotransmitters, and muscle tissue. Protein-rich foods should be ingested at each meal, both in case of physical fatigue, mental exhaustion, or stress.
• Essential fatty acids: These are omega-3 and omega-6, a type of fats that the body cannot produce and therefore must be provided through food. They maintain the nervous system in good condition. Omega-3 deficiency has been linked to problems of attention problems, depression, hyperactivity, and insomnia.
• Magnesium: People with a lot of fatigue, stressed, or activity should increase their magnesium intake because of the important role it plays in preventing muscle fatigue and keeping the mind calm and relaxed.
• B complex vitamins: This is a vitamin complex involved in many bodily functions, including iron absorption, energy production, strengthening the immune system, or aiding the nervous system function properly.
• Antioxidants: All physical or mental stress increases the demand for antioxidants, since increased activity rises free radicals in the body.

Below is a selection of the most suitable foods against tiredness and fatigue, which contain some or all of the nutrients mentioned above. It is recommended to introduce one or more of the following foods daily into the diet to combat tiredness:

RECOMMENDED FOODS FOR TIREDNESS AND FATIGUE

Walnuts, against mental and muscular exhaustion

Photo of walnuts. They contain omega-3 fatty acids, choline, and magnesium, components that combat physical and mental fatigue Photo of brewer’s yeast, which provides protein, vitamin B, magnesium, iron, chromium, and zinc

Walnuts are one of the most recommended foods, especially against mental exhaustion and stress. They are the richest plant-based food of omega-3. In addition, they contain a lot of choline, a precursor to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that enables communication between neurons.

Walnuts are recommended for mental well-being, improving concentration, and preventing memory loss. Furthermore, it has been shown that they may have have other benefits, such as preventing heart disease, reducing cholesterol, and playing a protective role against obesity.

Due to their content of vegetal protein, phosphorus, and zinc , they are also suitable for physical fatigue and for athletes. It is enough to eat a couple or three walnuts a day to get all its benefits. 

Brewer’s yeast: Proteins, vitamins and minerals

Brewer’s yeast is very rich in protein , B vitamins (including vitamin B12, which is necessary for absorbing iron), magnesium, iron, zinc, and chromium.

People who feel tired or are under a lot of stress can improve their nutrition by adding brewer’s yeast flakes to all kinds of preparations: salads, pasta, rice, etc. (Add to the dish once served, not during cooking) (Also sold in capsules as a food supplement).

It is a really great help to increase the nutritional value of dishes quickly, and is recommended for people who are underweight, when there is nervousness, lack of appetite, athletes, those on vegetarian diets, diabetes, menopause , etc.

Legumes, the most energetic and restorative grain

Photo of lentils. It is recommended to eat more legumes because they are very rich in protein, magnesium, and minerals

Legumes are the group of grains that includes chickpeas, lentils, peas, beans, and soybeans. Despite being very affordable and having a very high nutritional value, they are often not consumed regularly enough.

They provide energy from carbohydrates, plant-based proteins, lecithin, serotonin, B vitamins, lots of magnesium and zinc. They are very suitable foods for both physical tiredness and mental fatigue and stress.

It is recommended that tired or fatigued people consume at least 3 times a week some legume dish legumes, such as chickpeas with spinach, lentil salad or hummus.

Among cereals, pasta is recommended, as it contains a lot of protein and energy.

Bananas, the best fruit to combat tiredness

Picture of a banana. Bananas are the richest in magnesium Photo of parsley, rich in vitamin C and vitamin B, such as folic acid Photo of pumpkin seeds, rich in essential fatty acids, magnesium and antioxidants

Among all fruits, it is recommended that people who are stressed, tired, exhausted, or generally weak consume bananas.

Bananas are the richest in magnesium and also contains a lot of potassium, a mineral necessary for muscle relaxation and heart function.

Parsley, the most economical supplement against tiredness

Fresh parsley, which in many countries is an herb that is given away at greengrocers, and fishmongers, is one of the foods with the highest vitamin C content. It also has a great richness in folic acid, a vitamin that helps prevent anemia.

It also provides a certain amount of potassium, magnesium, beta-carotene, and iron.

Pumpkin seeds to against fatigue

Pumpkin seeds are very rich in essential fatty acids, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin E, and are one of the best dietary sources of selenium and zinc.

They are highly recommended for athletes and for physical fatigue, since vitamin E , selenium and zinc have an important role as antioxidants.

Its magnesium content is very suitable for aiding muscle recovery after exercise.

In addition, zinc stimulates the immune system and helps prevent opportunistic infections that attack people with a lot of stress or low defenses. You can add some sunflower seeds to salads, desserts, creams, etc.

Raisins for tiredness

Photo of raisins, rich in energy and antioxidants

Raisins are a highly energetic food, easy to digest, and have a high concentration of vitamins and minerals, as the benefits of grapes are concentrated in them.

They are rich in carbohydrates, which provide energy, as well as calcium, magnesium, and vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and pyridoxine.

They contain resveratrol, the same compound found in wine, which has properties that improve cardiovascular health. Raisins are especially recommended for athletes due to their energy and nutritional value.

Other dried fruits, such as dates, dried figs, or dried apricots, have similar properties.

Licorice candies to lift your spirits

Photo of licorice roots, which improve mood One kiwi contains almost 100% of the recommended daily vitamin C

Sucking on licorice root or licorice candy can help lift your mood. This is due to the properties of glycyrrhizin, the plant’s bitter principle, which has both antihypertensive and antidepressant properties. (People with hypertension should not take it; consult contraindications).

For tiredness, eat a food rich in vitamin C at every meal

Vitamin C is one of the most powerful antioxidants known. People under a lot of stress, or who experience physical exertion, should increase their intake of this vitamin. Vitamin C helps prevent the effects of stress, such as premature aging and the appearance of wrinkles. 

Recent studies show that vitamin C remains in the bloodstream for up to 5 hours. This means that it is not enough to drink orange juice in the morning. It is recommended to consume some food containing vitamin C with every meal.

Fortunately, there are many quick and easy ways to add this vitamin to your diet, as it is found in all plant foods that are eaten raw, such as fruits and vegetables. Some tips for increasing your vitamin C intake include:

• Dressing salads with lemon juice, or adding lemon juice to drinking water.
• Eating citrus fruits, such as tangerines, oranges, grapefruits,… They are very rich in vitamin C.
• Getting used to eating raw peppers, which you can add to salads. Peppers are the vegetables richest in vitamin C, They contain twice as much vitamin C as oranges or lemons!
• Other rich sources of vitamin C are kiwis, guava, papaya, mango, apples, peaches, etc.
• The vegetables that contain the most vitamin C are those from the cruciferous family, or winter vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, arugula, mustard,…
• Add fresh chopped parsley to the dishes.

More information on natural treatment for fatigue, supplements and diet

Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

13 March, 2026