Seasonal Change and Tiredness: Which Supplements to Choose?

Fatigue is one of the most frequent disorders during seasonal changes. Promoting good rest and reducing stress are the two fundamental strategies to combat it. Supplements also help; let’s discover which to prefer.

Fatigue, drowsiness, difficulty concentrating: the symptoms associated with seasonal change are not lacking either when transitioning from summer to autumn or from winter to the warmer months of the year. Not surprisingly, April is stereotyped as the month of “sweet sleep”, partly due to the switch to daylight saving time in the last weekend of March.

No denying it: losing just an hour of sleep is enough to make it difficult to face entire days. If, then, this small sleep deficit adds to the fatigue of the long winter months spent juggling work (or school) commitments, one can end up struggling to get through to the evening.

Indeed, the functioning of our body is influenced by the alternation of light and dark hours (according to the so-called circadian rhythms) and by phenomena that repeat on an annual basis (according to circannual rhythms).

These latter are largely masked by the strategies we put in place to cope with environmental changes that we inevitably face living in areas of the planet where the four seasons relentlessly follow each other. However, some of their effects seem to reappear precisely during the infamous seasonal change, especially if we are particularly at risk of suffering from it.

Seasonal change: who is most at risk?

Sometimes the risk of dealing with fatigue due to seasonal change is increased by social factors not regulated by circannual rhythms. If we practice sports at a certain level, for example, the seasonal changes we face depend on the concentration of competitions in certain periods of the year.

Other times, instead, the effect of seasonal change strongly depends on biological factors. For example, it has been noted that among students, seasonal change can be associated with weight variations. One of the first hypotheses to explain this phenomenon was the fact that students face very different commitments depending on the time of year. However, studies seem to exclude this lifestyle effect on students’ weight variations and a new hypothesis is emerging: that an alteration of melatonin production comes into play, the hormone that regulates (believe it or not!) the sleep-wake cycles and which, according to several studies, could play a role precisely in preventing weight gain.

Seasonal change thus seems to directly influence biological mechanisms that, in turn, can lead to increased fatigue that many of us face during this time of year.

When fatigue becomes debilitating

In some cases, fatigue, drowsiness, and concentration difficulties can become debilitating and add to mood and behavioral changes, which in more serious cases are the manifestation of a true syndrome in which genetics seems to play a fundamental role: seasonal affective disorder or SAD.

With the transition to winter, melatonin levels may remain high for too long, even during the day, causing consequently daytime sleepiness. When instead the seasonal change leads towards summer, one may find oneself dealing with agitation, irritability, and insomnia. It is not hard to imagine that the latter could turn into fatigue.

Combating fatigue and sleep disorders with supplements

Precisely because biological phenomena underlie fatigue and sleep disorders experienced during seasonal change, some nutrients present in food that influence these phenomena can help combat them. Supplements can help us replenish them in case of deficiencies and when it is not easy to take sufficient doses relying solely on food.

Alongside the more often suggested (but not always effective) products against sleep disorders, supplements based on polyunsaturated fats Omega 3 are also emerging. These are undoubtedly less overused remedies, but they could represent a breakthrough in the treatment of sleep-related problems that cause dragging through the day due to fatigue, especially in the seasonal change leading to the warmer months of the year.

Scientific literature analysis indeed shows that:

• Omega 3 are associated with an optimal sleep duration;
• the intake of marine-origin Omega 3 supplements (EPA – eicosapentaenoic acid – and DHA – docosahexaenoic acid) has been associated with better sleep quality;
• low DHA levels in the brain have been associated with altered sleep-wake cycles and reduced melatonin production;
• in cases of chronic fatigue the ratio between Omega 3 and Omega 6 (the other major family of polyunsaturated fats) is significantly lower;
• Omega 3 may also help to face stress, another possible cause of fatigue that can add to insomnia and accumulated tiredness from months of work or study.

The intake of EPA and DHA can be optimized by following recommendations on weekly fish consumption and remembering that the varieties rich in these nutrients are fatty fish living in cold waters, such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, and herring.

Unfortunately, however, it is not always easy to satisfy EPA and DHA needs with diet alone, especially if they increase or in particular conditions such as pregnancy. Cases in which it is not possible or desired to eat fish (for example in the presence of allergies or choosing a vegan diet) effectively prevent fighting fatigue thanks to its Omega 3s.

Fortunately, there are Omega 3 supplements suitable to satisfy the most varied needs. To replenish EPA and DHA, it is possible to choose among those based on marine-origin oils (fish, cod liver, krill, or algae).

Moreover, the potential benefits of taking adequate doses of Omega 3 can be enhanced by simultaneously caring for the intake of pantothenic acid, also known as vitamin B5. In fact, this nutrient, if taken in adequate doses, is recognized to «contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue», certified by a declaration approved by EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority).

Vitamin B5 is present in many foods of animal origin (eggs, dairy, poultry, offal) and plant origin (avocado, broccoli, kale, legumes, mushrooms, potatoes, whole grains), but is easily lost during processing. For this reason, to increase its intake in the perspective of combating fatigue associated with seasonal change, it can be particularly useful to resort to dietary supplements containing it.

Sources:  

European Commission. Health Claims, EU Register. Last viewed 18/04/23 

Dai Y and Liu J. Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid and sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and longitudinal studies. Nutr Rev. 2021 Aug; 79(8): 847–868. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa103

Kumar V and Mishra I. Circannual Rhythms. Encyclopedia of Reproduction (Second Edition)

Volume 1, 2018, Pages 442-450. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-801238-3.64613-5

Madden PA et al. Seasonal changes in mood and behavior. The role of genetic factors. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1996 Jan;53(1):47-55. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1996.01830010049008

Maes M et al. In chronic fatigue syndrome, the decreased levels of omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids are related to lowered serum zinc and defects in T cell activation. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2005 Dec;26(6):745-51. PMID: 16380690

MedlinePlus. Pantothenic Acid and Biotin. Last viewed: 18/04/23

Moreno JP et al. Potential circadian and circannual rhythm contributions to the obesity epidemic in elementary school age children. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2019; 16: 25. doi: 10.1186/s12966-019-0784-7

Munir S and Abbas M. Seasonal Depressive Disorder. \[Updated 2022 Mar 26]. In: StatPearls \[Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK568745/.

Murphy RA et al. Association of omega-3 levels and sleep in US adults, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011-2012. Sleep Health. 2022 Jun;8(3):294-297. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2021.12.003

Reilly T and Peiser B. Seasonal variations in health-related human physical activity. Sports Med. 2006;36(6):473-85. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200636060-00002

Yoshimura E et al. Changes in Season Affect Body Weight, Physical Activity, Food Intake, and Sleep in Female College Students: A Preliminary Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec; 17(23): 8713. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17238713