Feeling tired? Do you feel like your sleep isn't restful? Are you already yearning for your summer vacation? Nothing unusual! For many, February is synonymous with fatigue and depression.
British researchers (1) have indeed shown that we sleep much less and less well during this month.
The causes are:
The cold, which prompts us to overheat our rooms, well beyond the recommended 19°C, and to poorly ventilate our homes. Heat and lack of fresh air are known to affect sleep quality.
Lack of brightness: even though the days are lengthening, February is the grayest month, and the duration of sunlight is at its lowest. However, this sunlight regulates our internal clock. We find ourselves out of sync, and our sleep suffers as a result...
Our mood also suffers from this lack of brightness. Winter depression reaches its peak, likely due to a low level of serotonin transport protein, a hormone that regulates our mood (2). As a result, we enter spring with low energy and morale.
How to regain our vitality?
Think magnesium!
Faced with winter fatigue and depression, the first step is to supplement with magnesium. This essential trace element is indeed a regulator of sleep and mood. Magnesium deficiency is implicated in numerous disorders, foremost among them being fatigue, nighttime awakenings, muscle weakness, depression, and anxiety (3)(4). Yet, 77% of women and 72% of men have insufficient magnesium intake and are deficient (5) - it's highly likely that you're among them.
In terms of winter fatigue and depression, magnesium deficiency is a real vicious circle:
Magnesium deficiency causes fatigue. In return, we tend to consume more coffee and stimulants. However, caffeine also leads to increased urinary magnesium loss (6).
The sleep debt induced by magnesium deficiency leads us to turn to "comfort foods" rich in sugars and fats (7). This unbalanced diet tends to result in magnesium deficiency.
If magnesium deficiency induces stress, stress itself stimulates the production of catecholamines, the "stress hormones" that promote magnesium leakage out of cells, then its elimination in urine (8).
As for neuroleptics, prescribed in some cases of depression, they are also a factor in magnesium deficiency...
Magnesium supplements will help break out of this vicious circle by acting on different mechanisms and thus contribute to:
Improving sleep: reducing sleep onset time, decreasing nighttime awakenings, better sleep quality (9)(10).
Reducing stress (11)(12).
Improving muscle tone (13)(14).
Improving concentration.
Which magnesium to choose?
Not all dietary supplements are equally effective. It is recommended to opt for formulations containing:
Vitamins B1, B2, B5, and B6, which optimize magnesium absorption.
Taurine, which ensures intracellular magnesium reuptake and is also a natural cerebral sedative, just like serotonin.
Arginine, an amino acid that enhances magnesium action and has natural anxiolytic properties without addiction.
It is also advisable to choose non-laxative salts that are well absorbed and organic, such as magnesium glycerophosphate (15) and magnesium citrate.
Consider royal jelly
Known to boost immunity, royal jelly is also beneficial during periods of fatigue.
A product of the hive, royal jelly is the milky substance secreted by the glands of nurse bees. It is used to feed bee larvae at the beginning of their development as well as the queen, who feeds on it throughout her life, which could explain her longevity. Royal jelly is interesting during periods of fatigue (16) due to its richness in amino acids, including eight essential amino acids that our bodies do not produce. Three of them are particularly recommended in cases of winter fatigue and depression:
Tryptophan, a metabolic precursor of serotonin, melatonin, and niacin. It is commonly used to relieve depression and promote sleep.
Leucine, which plays an important role in anabolism, i.e., in our body's ability to build muscle and maintain muscle mass.
Phenylalanine, considered as an intellectual stimulant.
It will be readily associated with Maca and ginger to give a boost to our tired bodies.
Don't forget vitamin D
During winter, due to the lack of sunlight, we are often deficient in vitamin D. Indeed, it is produced notably by the skin when exposed to sunlight. However, a deficiency can induce:
Depressive states (17).
Fatigue (18).
As well as muscle weakness, cramps, or concentration difficulties (19).
Therefore, if:
You live in a region with little sunlight,
You go out little (urban, elderly people),
You have dark or black skin,
Your diet is low in milk, butter, fatty fish, offal (dietary sources of vitamin D),
You are very likely deficient in vitamin D... like nearly 70% of French people (20)!
Adopt a diet for vitality
Diet plays an essential role in regaining your energy! To regain vitality, it will be necessary to favor foods containing:
L-Tryptophan, an amino acid involved in serotonin synthesis, a hormone that regulates mood. It also promotes falling asleep (21). It is found in whole rice, meat, dairy products, eggs, legumes, banana, oats, or almonds.
Omega-3. It has been shown that deficiencies in this essential fatty acid can cause fatigue and mood disorders (22). Fatty fish, nuts, rapeseed oil, or green leafy vegetables are rich in it.
Iron. This trace element is essential for the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary source of bodily energy. Anemia, common in women and pregnant women, causes fatigue, drops in blood pressure, and muscle weakness (23). It is found in red meat, offal, clams, mussels, lentils, and egg yolks.
Vitamin C. It contributes to iron absorption and has antioxidant properties. We will focus on
red bell peppers, papaya, kiwi, broccoli, cabbage, or pineapple.
However, certain foods and drinks are particularly to be avoided during periods of fatigue because they tend to further exhaust the body:
Sugar and refined foods,
Dishes rich in saturated fats,
Light products,
Alcohol,
Excessive caffeine.
Move
In case of fatigue and seasonal depression, physical exercise is always beneficial. It has demonstrated a long-term effect superior to that of antidepressants and in preventing relapses (24). Practiced outdoors, it's even better! Walking for the more sedentary, running, tennis, outdoor fitness for others, and of course, skiing for the luckiest!
Moreover, practicing a sport regularly allows you to feel a "good tiredness", regulate our internal clock, and sleep better (25).
Sources:
(1)Espie, C. A., Kyle, S. D., Williams, C., Ong, J. C., Douglas, N. J., Hames, P., & Brown, J. S. (2012). A randomized, placebo-controlled trial of online cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic insomnia disorder delivered via an automated media-rich web application. Sleep, 35(6), 769-781.
(2) B. Mc Mahon, S.B. Andersen, M.K. Madsen, L.V. Hjordt, I. Hageman, H. Dam, C. Svarer, S. Da Cunha-Bang, W. Barré, J. Madsen, L. Hasholt, V. Frokjaer, G.M. Knudsen. Patients with seasonal affective disorder show seasonal fluctuations in their cerebral serotonin transporter binding. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2014;24(Suppl 2):S319
(3) Magnesium deficiency, the real emperor of all maladies ?, Medscape, 11 mai 2015
(4) Wilhelm Jahnen-Dechent, Markus Ketteler; Magnesium basics, Clinical Kidney Journal, Volume 5, Issue Suppl_1, 1 February 2012, Pages i3–i14
(5) SU.VI.MAX, étude de supplémentation en vitamines et minéraux.1994-2003. Apfelbaum et all.
(6)Kynast-Gales, S. A., & Massey, L. K. (1994). Effect of caffeine on circadian excretion of urinary calcium and magnesium. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 13(5), 467-472.
(7) Brondel, L., Romer, M. A., Nougues, P. M., Touyarou, P., & Davenne, D. (2010). Acute partial sleep deprivation increases food intake in healthy men–. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 91(6), 1550-1559.
(8)Panorama du médecin, 30 novembre 2015
(9) Forrest H Nielsen, LuAnn K Johnson, Huawei Zeng . Magnesium supplementation improves indicators of low magnesium status and inflammatory stress in adults older than 51 years with poor quality sleep *. Magnesium Research. 2010;23(4):158-168. doi:10.1684/mrh.2010.0220
(10)Held, K.; Antonijevic, I.; Künzel, H.; Uhr, M.; Wetter, T.; Golly, I.; Steiger, A.; Murck, H., Oral Mg2+ Supplementation Reverses Age-Related Neuroendocrine and Sleep EEG Changes in Humans, Pharmacopsychiatry 2002; 35(04): 135 - 143
(11)Held, K.; Antonijevic, I.; Künzel, H.; Uhr, M.; Wetter, T.; Golly, I.; Steiger, A.; Murck, H., Oral Mg2+ Supplementation Reverses Age-Related Neuroendocrine and Sleep EEG Changes in Humans, Pharmacopsychiatry 2002; 35(04): 135 - 143
(12)Wienecke, E., & Nolden, C. (2016). Long-term HRV analysis shows stress reduction by magnesium intake. MMW Fortschritte der Medizin, 158(Suppl 6), 12-16.
(13)Gromova OA, Torshin IIu, Iudina NV, Egorova EIu, Gromov AN, Grishina TR., Magnesium deficiency and dysregulation of vascular tone, Kardiologiia. 2014;54(7):66-72
(14)Hisanori Okazaki, Eiji Ishimura, Senji Okuno, Kyoko Norimine, Kenjiro Yamakawa, Tomoyuki Yamakawa, Shigeichi Shoji, Yoshiki Nishizawa, Masaaki Inaba. Significant positive relationship between serum magnesium and muscle quality in maintenance hemodialysis patients. Magnesium Research. 2013;26(4):182-187. doi:10.1684/mrh.2014.0352
(15)Driessens F. C. M. ; Boltong M. G. ; Planell J. A On formulas for daily oral magnesium supplementation and some of their side effects Magnesium-Bulletin 1993, vol. 15, no1, pp. 10-12
(16) Kamakura M, Mitani N, et al. Antifatigue effect of fresh royal jelly in mice.J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2001 Dec;47(6):394-401.
(17) Howland, R. H. (2011). Vitamin D and depression. Journal of psychosocial nursing and mental health services, 49(2), 15-18.
(18) Holick, M. F. (2007). Vitamin D deficiency. New England Journal of Medicine, 357(3), 266-281.
(19) Wilkins, C. H., Sheline, Y. I., Roe, C. M., Birge, S. J., & Morris, J. C. (2006). Vitamin D deficiency is associated with low mood and worse cognitive performance in older adults. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry, 14(12), 1032-1040.
(20) Vitamine D : les Français carencés, Le Figaro Santé, 25/06/2012
(21) Hartmann, E., Chung, R., & Chien, C. P. (1971). L-Tryptophane and sleep. Psychopharmacologia, 19(2), 114-127.
(22) Logan, A. C. (2004). Omega-3 fatty acids and major depression: a primer for the mental health professional. Lipids in health and disease, 3(1), 25.
(23) Patterson, A. J., Brown, W. J., & Roberts, D. C. (2001). Dietary and supplement treatment of iron deficiency results in improvements in general health and fatigue in Australian women of childbearing age. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 20(4), 337-342.
(24) De Matos, M. G., Calmeiro, L., & Da Fonseca, D. (2009). Effet de l’activité physique sur l’anxiété et la dépression. La presse médicale, 38(5), 734-739.
(25) Melancon, M. O., Lorrain, D., & Dionne, I. J. (2014). Exercise and sleep in aging: emphasis on serotonin. Pathologie Biologie, 62(5), 276-283.