Fatigue to Focus: Addressing Vitamin Deficiencies in College Students
By: Riyana Bhatt
College life, especially us on the grueling quarter system, often comes with long nights, budgeted meals, and high stress making vitamin deficiencies a hidden but significant health issue among students. Poor dietary habits, erratic sleep schedules, and limited sunlight exposure can all lead to nutritional gaps that affect energy, focus, and even our emotional well-being. Here, I have outlined some of the most common vitamin and mineral deficiencies, their impact on students, and simple ways to fix them.
Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin
Vitamin D supports bone health, boosts immunity, and helps regulate mood. These are all crucial for the physically and mentally demanding life of a college student. But many college students spend long hours indoors, whether studying in libraries or lounging in dorms, which means minimal sun exposure.
Common Symptoms: Feeling tired despite sleeping, frequent colds, low mood (especially in winter), or aching muscles after minor physical activity.
Recommendations!: Try studying or walking outside midday for 15–30 minutes, especially during peak sunlight hours. Eat fortified foods like milk, cereal, and egg yolks (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, 2021).
Iron: The Energy Essential
Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional issues among college students, especially those following vegetarian or low-meat diets. Iron is vital for delivering oxygen throughout the body, and a shortage can impair your stamina and brainpower.
Common Symptoms: Constant fatigue, poor concentration in class, shortness of breath when walking to campus buildings, or pale skin.
Recommendations!: Pack iron-rich snacks like trail mix with pumpkin seeds or fortified granola bars. Include beans, spinach, or lean meats in your meals, and drink a small glass of orange juice to enhance absorption. Avoid drinking coffee or tea (I apologize to my fellow matcha lovers) with meals as they can block iron uptake (WHO, 2020).
Vitamin B12: Brain and Blood Support
B12 is essential for cognitive performance which is incredibly pertinent to students during exam season and late-night study sessions, and is particularly common in students on vegan diets.
Common Symptoms: Brain fog during lectures, mood swings, pins-and-needles sensation in hands or feet (some call it TV static), or frequent forgetfulness.
Recommendations!: Incorporate dairy, eggs, and lean meats into your diet, if possible. For vegans, fortified plant milks and nutritional yeast are excellent sources. B12 supplements are safe, affordable, and especially useful during periods of intense academic stress (Harvard Health Publishing, 2018).
Vitamin C: The Immune Booster
Between packed dorms, shared classrooms, and stress-lowered immunity, college students are constantly exposed to illness. Vitamin C plays a role in fighting infections and additionally helps the body absorb iron..
Common Symptoms: Getting sick frequently, taking longer to heal from cuts, dry skin, or frequent bruising.
Recommendations!: Add fruit like oranges, strawberries, or kiwi to your breakfast. Veggie sticks like bell peppers or broccoli with hummus make great vitamin C-rich snacks during study breaks. Try to eat these foods raw or lightly cooked to preserve the vitamin (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, 2021).
Magnesium: The Stress Regulator
Magnesium supports over 300 biochemical reactions, including those that manage stress and sleep: two things college students often struggle with. Caffeine and processed foods, common in student diets, can further deplete magnesium levels.
Common Symptoms: Trouble sleeping, muscle cramps during workouts, feeling anxious, or heart palpitations during stressful weeks.
Recommendations!: Add magnesium-rich foods like almonds, black beans, bananas, and whole grains to your diet. Try incorporating oatmeal with nuts, or snack on dark chocolate (in moderation) as part of your late-night snack/well deserved sweet treat. A calming magnesium drink before bed may also help you sleep better (Volpe, 2013).
Vitamin deficiencies don’t just affect your health, but they affect your performance, motivation, and overall experience in college. Fortunately, you don’t need a complete lifestyle overhaul to improve them. While easier said than done, prioritizing whole foods, spending more time outside, and potentially incorporating vitamin supplements can help you stay energized, focused, and resilient throughout the rest of our academic years here as Drexel dragons!
References
Harvard Health Publishing. (2018). Vitamin B12 deficiency can be sneaky, harmful. Harvard Medical School. https://www.health.harvard.edu
National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. (2021). Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Consumers. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/
National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. (2021). Vitamin C Fact Sheet for Consumers. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-Consumer/
Volpe, S. L. (2013). Magnesium in disease prevention and overall health. Advances in Nutrition, 4(3), 378S–383S. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.112.003483
World Health Organization. (2020). Iron deficiency anaemia. https://www.who.int/health-topics/anaemia