FOOD & SUPPLEMENT BUNDLE
Foods and supplements claimed to help energy and fatigue
59 of them, ranked by strength of evidence. Only 1 reach grade A or B.
At a glance
59 foods and supplements marketed for energy and fatigue, each graded one by one against clinical trial evidence. Grade spread: A 1 · C 31 · D 11 · F 2. Only 1 reach grade A or B.
The grade measures how strong the evidence is, not how good something is for you. Grade A means independent research groups replicated a reduction in real clinical events in humans; grade F means well-designed trials established there is no effect. See Methodology.
Claimed to help energy and fatigue — strongest evidence first
Within a grade, higher scores come first; verdicts without a score sit at the bottom. Follow a name to see its trials, evidence, and limits.
| A | 92 | Oral iron for iron deficiency | Correction of iron-deficiency anemia and improvement of deficiency-related fatigue |
| C | 57 | American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) | Improvement of cancer-related fatigue in patients and survivors |
| C | 55 | Octacosanol | fatigue and endurance |
| C | 52 | Vitamin B1 (thiamine) | Fatigue and nerve function |
| C | 52 | Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | Energy production and fatigue improvement |
| C | 51 | EnXtra® (a proprietary standardized extract of Alpinia galanga) | Improved caffeine-free alertness, attention, and sustained energy |
| C | 50 | B-complex vitamins | Fatigue |
| C | 50 | Fermented porcine placenta extract | Improvement of fatigue |
| C | 48 | Taurine | Fatigue and vitality |
| C | 48 | elevATP® (a proprietary blend of ancient peat and apple extract) | Increased cellular ATP, vitality, exercise energy, and strength |
| C | 48 | Coenzyme Q10 (mitochondrial quinone antioxidant supplement) | Reduction of subjective fatigue in adults with heterogeneous causes and diseases |
| C | 47 | Schisandra chinensis (schisandra) | Fatigue, liver, and antioxidant effects |
| C | 47 | PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone) | Energy and cognition |
| C | 47 | Molecular hydrogen or hydrogen-rich water and generating tablets (dissolved H2 supplements) | Reduced perceived fatigue and blood lactate during exercise with improved endurance |
| C | 46 | Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) | Fatigue and stress |
| C | 46 | Cordyceps (including C. militaris, C. sinensis/Cs-4, and Cordyceps mycelium culture extract) | Vitality, immunity, and exercise |
| C | 46 | Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) | Fatigue and anemia |
| C | 46 | Iron-fortified cereal providing 16 mg iron, milk, and two gold kiwifruit eaten together for 16 weeks | Improved iron-storage markers in nonanemic women with low iron stores |
| C | 44 | Royal jelly | Fatigue recovery and increased vitality |
| C | 44 | Theacrine (TeaCrine) | Improvement of alertness, energy, and fatigue |
| C | 43 | Eleuthero/Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) | Fatigue, stress, and exercise |
| C | 42 | Arginine (L-arginine) | fatigue and vitality |
| C | 42 | Iron (for non-deficient ordinary people) | Fatigue |
| C | 42 | NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydride) | Improved chronic fatigue |
| C | 42 | Paraxanthine (enfinity®) | Cleaner alertness, endurance, and reaction speed than caffeine |
| C | 42 | Ashwagandha root extract (Withania somnifera, a withanolide-containing adaptogen supplement) | Normalization of TSH, T3, and T4 in asymptomatic or mild subclinical hypothyroidism |
| C | 41 | Stabilized oxaloacetate (benaGene-type supplement) | Reduced physical and mental fatigue in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome |
| C | 40 | D-ribose | Improved fatigue in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia |
| C | 40 | Fermented amino acid complex | Fatigue reduction during endurance exercise |
| C | 40 | Methylliberine (Dynamine®) | Caffeine-free alertness, focus, and exercise energy |
| C | 40 | Magnesium malate / malic acid–magnesium (Super Malic, supplement) | Reduced fatigue and pain in fibromyalgia and increased cellular ATP |
| C | 40 | L-carnitine (an amino-acid derivative involved in fatty-acid transport and sold as a supplement) | Reduced mental fatigue in people with hypothyroidism who remain fatigued during levothyroxine treatment |
| D | 38 | Standardized nitrate-rich beetroot juice (food and sports-supplement beverage) | Improved exercise tolerance, walking or cycling endurance, and dyspnea in patients with COPD |
| D | 34 | Decaf 5-hour Energy low-caffeine shot, one 57-mL bottle | Five-hour alertness, mental energy, and cognitive enhancement independent of caffeine |
| D | 30 | Guarana seed extract (Paullinia cupana) | Longer-lasting energy than caffeine and improvement of chronic fatigue |
| D | 30 | L-carnitine (oral amino-acid-derivative supplement) | Reduction of cancer- and treatment-related fatigue in patients with cancer |
| D | 28 | Fermented Prunus mume vinegar (maesil vinegar) | Improvement of unexplained fatigue and vitality |
| D | 28 | Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, water-soluble vitamin supplement used with oral iron) | Additional acceleration of hemoglobin recovery in iron-deficiency anemia by increasing iron absorption |
| D | 28 | Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR; a dietary supplement) | Improved multiple-sclerosis-related fatigue and daily function |
| D | 28 | Creatine monohydrate (dietary supplement) | Improvement of persistent fatigue and difficulty concentrating in long COVID |
| D | 28 | Alternate-day versus daily oral ferrous sulfate at the same cumulative elemental-iron dose | Improved eight-week hemoglobin response versus daily dosing |
| D | 27 | Nicotinamide riboside (nicotinamide riboside chloride, an NAD+ precursor and vitamin B3 derivative supplement) | Improved subjective fatigue and daily vitality in adults through increased cellular energy |
| D | 26 | Liposomal NAD+ | Increased cellular energy and mitochondrial vitality |
| F | 15 | Deer velvet antler | Improved physical performance and exercise recovery |
| F | 8 | Theobromine (a cocoa methylxanthine) | Gentler and longer-lasting alertness and energy than caffeine |
| ? | score not listed | Bovine adrenal cortex extract (adrenal glandular) | Recovery from 'adrenal fatigue,' cortisol balance, and increased energy |
| ? | score not listed | Bovine thyroid glandular (thyroid-tissue supplement) | Improved energy, metabolism, and fatigue through thyroid support |
| ? | score not listed | Agarwood extract or agarwood pill, a traditional Aquilaria supplement | Improvement of chronic fatigue and low vitality with immediate restoration of energy |
| ? | score not listed | Korean black goat extract (Capra hircus coreanae, traditional animal-derived food and supplement) | Improvement of anemia and chronic fatigue and restoration of energy in overworked or debilitated people |
| ? | score not listed | Desiccated beef liver (whole-food supplement derived from bovine organ tissue) | Increase everyday energy and reduce fatigue in adults without a confirmed nutritional deficiency |
| ? | score not listed | Liquid chlorophyll, usually a supplement containing the chlorophyll derivative sodium copper chlorophyllin | Increased everyday energy and improved fatigue recovery in healthy adults |
| ? | score not listed | Glucose-electrolyte drink mix (a sodium, potassium, and glucose supplement, including Liquid I.V.) | Improved everyday fatigue and energy in healthy people without dehydration or prolonged exercise |
| ? | score not listed | Mushroom coffee (a conventional food combining coffee with functional mushrooms such as lion's mane, chaga, and cordyceps) | More sustained everyday energy and less fatigue than regular coffee containing the same amount of caffeine |
| ? | score not listed | Oral egg-white ovalbumin (ordinary food used as a protein supplement) | Immediate fatigue recovery, greater vitality, and increased serum albumin in generally well-nourished people |
| ? | score not listed | Celtic sea salt (predominantly sodium chloride sea salt; conventional food) | Recovery from alleged adrenal fatigue and improved daily energy by drinking salt water in the morning |
| ? | score not listed | Oral adenosine-5'-triphosphate disodium (PeakATP; nucleotide supplement) | Increased everyday energy and improvement of chronic fatigue independent of exercise |
| ? | score not listed | Dunggulle tea brewed from roasted Polygonatum odoratum rhizome | Recovery from everyday fatigue in non-deficient adults |
| ? | score not listed | Chueotang, Korean loach soup made with bone-ground loach, doenjang, perilla seed, and vegetables | Reduced fatigue and improved vitality or recovery |
| ? | score not listed | A complete bowl of samgyetang made from a young chicken, glutinous rice, ginseng, garlic, and jujube | Reduced fatigue and improved vitality or recovery |
Not swallowed — applied, inhaled, held in the mouth, worn, or performed on the body (3)
Same claims, but these are not taken by mouth: rubbed on the skin, breathed in, chewed or rinsed and spat out, worn on the body, or performed as a procedure such as acupuncture or cupping. A different route into the body, so they are listed separately.
| D | 32 | Peppermint essential oil (menthol-rich aroma, nonmedicinal product) | Short-term alertness and relief of mental fatigue through aroma inhalation |
| ? | score not listed | Intranasal NAD+ spray (unapproved coenzyme-based wellness product sold through cross-border channels) | Improved daily energy and focus and reduced fatigue through nasal absorption |
| ? | score not listed | Transdermal vitamin B12 patch (a nonmedical wellness cobalamin supplement patch) | Immediate improvement in energy, concentration, and fatigue through skin absorption in adults without vitamin B12 deficiency |
Claimed to harm energy and fatigue (2)
Here a higher grade means the harm is better established — the opposite direction from the table above. A low grade means the claim of harm rests on weak evidence.
| C | 54 | A porridge meal labeled with 4 mg iron isotope taken with 200 mL black tea | Reduced single-meal fractional nonheme-iron absorption |
| D | 30 | Daily calcium carbonate supplement, 1,000 mg, taken with meals | Long-term iron deficiency or anemia |
What does have evidence for energy and fatigue
Not foods or supplements: drugs and procedures graded A or B. Chamgap recommends nothing. It only shows where the evidence is strong. Any treatment decision belongs with your doctor.
| A | 88 | Hydrocortisone (physiologic glucocorticoid hormone and prescription medicine) | Correction of cortisol-deficiency fatigue and weakness and prevention of adrenal crisis in confirmed primary adrenal insufficiency |
| A | 86 | Levothyroxine sodium (synthetic T4 thyroid hormone; prescription drug, Synthroid) | Normalization of thyroid-stimulating hormone and free T4 with improvement of deficiency-related fatigue and cold intolerance in overt primary hypothyroidism |
| B | 79 | Caffeine citrate (methylxanthine respiratory stimulant, Cafnea, prescription injection or oral solution) | Reduction in death or neurodevelopmental disability at 18 to 21 months when treating apnea of prematurity |
| B | 78 | Non-invasive bilevel positive-pressure ventilation (NIV or BiPAP, a mask-based respiratory-support device and hospital procedure) | Prevention of hospital mortality and endotracheal intubation in acute hypercapnic COPD exacerbation |
| B | 77 | Modafinil (a prescription non-amphetamine wake-promoting eugeroic; Provigil) | Reduction of excessive daytime sleepiness and maintenance of wakefulness in adults with narcolepsy |
| B | 76 | Prolonged prone positioning for at least 16 hours per day | Lower 28-day and 90-day mortality in mechanically ventilated severe ARDS |
| B | 76 | One 30-minute preoperative physiotherapy education and breathing-training session before upper abdominal surgery | Reduced 14-day postoperative pulmonary complications and pneumonia |
| B | 76 | High-dose postdilution online hemodiafiltration targeting at least 23 L of convection volume per session | Reduced all-cause mortality versus high-flux hemodialysis in maintenance dialysis |
| B | 75 | Low-tidal-volume lung-protective ventilation (a critical-care mechanical-ventilation strategy and procedure) | Reduced 28-day and hospital mortality in adult acute respiratory distress syndrome |
| B | 74 | Solriamfetol (a prescription dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake-inhibiting wake-promoting agent) | Reduced excessive daytime sleepiness and sustained wakefulness in adults with narcolepsy |
| B | 74 | Pitolisant (prescription histamine H3-receptor inverse agonist) | Reduced excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy in narcolepsy |
| B | 73 | Post-exacerbation pulmonary rehabilitation (an exercise, breathing-training, and education program) | Prevention of readmission after hospitalization for a COPD exacerbation |
How to read this list
A grade of C or D does not mean "do not take it." It means the evidence is not yet strong enough to promise the effect. Equally, A or B does not mean it works for everyone.
Chamgap sells nothing and takes no advertising. See all Energy & Fatigue verdicts.