Vitamins & Minerals to Provide Energy

The ability of your cells to make energy not only supports your active lifestyle, but it's also essential for survival. The carbohydrates, fats and proteins in your food contain energy, measured in calories, but your body has to digest and break down these nutrients so that you can access that energy to produce useable fuel for your tissues. Vitamins and minerals do not contribute to your calorie intake, but both types of nutrient contribute to energy production in your body.

B Vitamins

The B vitamins -- a family of eight water-soluble nutrients -- help provide energy. These nutrients work together to help you metabolize food, allowing your cells to turn the carbohydrates and fats from your diet into useable energy. They also help you use blood sugar -- allowing your cells to take up glucose and use it for fuel. A well-balanced and varied diet often provides you with the B vitamins you need to function, but vegetarians and vegans should consider vitamin B-12 supplements, since the vitamin only occurs naturally in animal-based foods.


Manganese also helps provide you with energy by fueling your metabolism. Like B vitamins, manganese helps you break down food into energy. It also helps your cells access energy through a process called gluconeogenesis, the series of chemical reactions your cells use to make glucose, a convenient source of fuel. Make sure you get your recommended daily intake of manganese -- 1.8 milligrams for women or 2.3 milligrams for men, according to the Linus Pauling Institute -- to prevent a deficiency. Pecans, pineapples and brown rice all provide sources of manganese.


Iron has an important effect on your metabolism, and getting enough of the mineral helps provide you with energy. Energy production relies on a constant supply of oxygen -- without enough oxygen, cells cannot carry out metabolic reactions and you stop producing fuel. Iron helps ensure healthy circulation, so that your tissues have a steady supply of the oxygen needed to drive your metabolism. Iron also directly helps with energy production by driving the electron transport chain, or ETC -- a series of chemical reactions that help you get energy from carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Women need 18 milligrams of iron daily, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements, and men need 8 milligrams. Eat meat, spinach and beans as sources of iron.


While vitamins and minerals help your body get the most from the food you eat, the best way to maximize energy is to ensure you fill your diet with healthy foods and avoid processed foods and sugar. Refined carbohydrates such as white bread and candy, for example, cause blood sugar spikes and crashes that leave you feeling zapped of energy. Eating foods rich in fiber and protein can slow your digestion, so you feel satisfied and energized throughout the day. If you've been feeling very fatigued lately, talk to a medical professional to determine the underlying cause and appropriate treatment.