If you’re in perimenopause or menopausal and exhausted in a way that sleep doesn’t seem to fix, you’re not imagining it and you’re certainly not alone. Menopause fatigue is one of the most common symptoms my clients come to me with and it’s one of the most frustrating, because it affects everything: your concentration, your mood, your ability to exercise and your motivation to make the changes you know would help.

Many women start searching for vitamins for menopause fatigue hoping to find a straightforward answer. The truth is slightly more nuanced but there are specific nutrients that genuinely matter for your energy levels during this time and understanding them can make a real difference to how you feel day to day.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the key vitamins involved in energy metabolism during menopause, the best food sources for each and when a supplement is and isn’t worth considering

Why Does Menopause Cause Fatigue?

Menopause fatigue has several overlapping causes, which is part of why it can feel so hard to shift.

As oestrogen and progesterone levels decline during perimenopause and menopause, this affects the adrenal and thyroid hormones that regulate metabolism – the rate at which your body converts food into energy. When metabolism slows, your body is less efficient at generating energy from what you eat, which contributes directly to the persistent, heaving tiredness many women describe.[2, 3, 5, 6]

On top of that, many women experience disrupted sleep due to night sweats and hot flushes. Multiple studies confirm what you probably already know from lived experience: poor sleep quality significantly increases daytime fatigue, making it harder to function and harder still to make the dietary and lifestyle changes that would help.[7, 8, 9].

For more information on managing symptoms of menopause, refer to our previous blog on “Nutrition to Manage Menopausal Symptoms”. 

Many of the women I work with describe menopause fatigue as different from ordinary tiredness – a bone deep exhaustion that sleep doesn’t fully fix, combined with brain fog that makes even simple tasks feel harder than they should. If that sounds familiar, you’re not imagining it and it’s not a sign that something is fundamentally wrong with you. It’s your body navigating a significant hormonal transition and it needs support.

Which Vitamins Are Most Important for Menopause Fatigue?

Several vitamins play a direct role in energy metabolism in the body. Here’s what the evidence says about each one, and where to find them in food.

B Vitamins – the energy release team

B vitamins are essential for helping your body release energy from food. They work as a group, each playing a slightly different role in metabolism. The key ones to know about are:

• Thiamine (B1) – found in peas, nuts, fortified cereals, oranges, bananas, and wholegrain bread – daily recommended intake of 0.8mg for women
• Riboflavin (B2) – found in milk, eggs, mushrooms, and fortified cereals – daily recommended intake of 1.1mg for women
• Niacin (B3) – found in meat, fish, eggs, and wheat flour – daily recommended intake of 13.2mg for women
• Pantothenic acid (B5) – found in chicken, beef, eggs, mushrooms, and avocados
• Pyridoxine (B6) – found in pork, turkey, fish, peanuts, oats, milk, bananas, and soya beans. Daily recommended intake of 1.2mg for women
• Biotin (B7) – found in low levels in eggs, fish, meat, seeds, nuts, and sweet potatoes. Only needed in very small amounts each day
• Folate/folic acid (B9) – found in broccoli, leafy green vegetables, peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, liver, and fortified cereals. Daily recommended intake of 200mg for women .

The good news is that if you’re eating a reasonably balanced diet you should be meeting your B vitamins needs through food alone, without supplementation [11].

Vitamin B12 – energy, red blood cells and nervous system health

Vitamin B12 deserves a mention on its own because deficiency is relatively common and cause significant fatigue, as well as brain fog and low mood. B12 is used to make red blood cells, release energy from food and maintain a healthy nervous system.

Food sources include meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs, and some fortified foods. The recommended daily intake is around 1.5mcg per day.

If you are vegan, or a vegetarian who does not eat eggs and/or dairy, you are at higher risk of vitamin B12 deficiency since it doesn’t occur naturally in plant foods. In this case, aim for B12 fortified foods or a daily vitamin B12 supplement containing around 1.5mcg [11]. If you’re concerned your B12 levels might be low, it’s worth asking your GP for a blood test.

Vitamin C – cell protection and energy support

Vitamin C plays a supporting role in energy metabolism as well as protecting cells, supporting immune function and maintaining healthy skin and blood vessels.

It’s found in citrus fruit, peppers, strawberries, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and potatoes. The recommended intake is 40mg per day – easily achievable through a varied diet.

Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, vitamin C can’t be stored in the body so it’s important to include vitamin C rich foods every day rather than relying on occasional large doses. High dose supplements are necessary if you’re eating well and can cause digestive discomfort [12].

Vitamin D – the one most women in the UK genuinely need

Vitamin D is worth treating separately from the others because deficiency is extremely common in the UK, particularly during autumn and winter when sunlight levels are low and it’s directly linked to fatigue.

Beyond energy, vitamin D supports bone health, muscle function and calcium absorption, all of which are especially important for women during and after menopause, when bone density naturally declines.

Food sources include oily fish, red meat, liver, egg yolks, and fortified products but dietary intake alone is rarely sufficient to meet the recommended daily intake of 10mcg per day. The NHS recommend that everyone in the UK considers a vitamin D supplement of 10mcg per day during autumn and winter, and those at higher risk of deficiency, including women who spend limited time outdoors or have darker skin, may benefit from supplementation year-round [13].

Those most at risk of deficiency include women who don’t spend much time outdoors, who their skin when outside or who have darker skin tones.

Vitamins Are Part of the Picture – But Not the Whole Story

Understanding which vitamins support your energy is a useful starting point. But in my experience working with women through perimenopause and menopause, fatigue is rarely just about one nutrient.

It’s usually a combination of factors: hormonal changes affecting metabolism, blood sugar instability causing energy crashes throughout the day, disrupted sleep from night sweats and eating patterns that worked well in your 30s but no longer serve your changing body. Addressing those things together through a personalised, whole-diet approach rather than individual supplements is what tends to make the most meaningful difference.

That’s exactly the kind of work I do with clients in my Nourish & Thrive 1:1 programme: looking at the full picture of what your body needs right now and building a practical, sustainable plan around your real life.

Summary

The vitamins most closely linked to energy levels during menopause are the B vitamins (particularly B12), vitamin C and vitamin D. In most cases, a varied and balanced diet will meet your needs for for all of these – with the exception of vitamin D, where a daily supplement of 10mcg is recommended for most women in the UK during autumn and winter.

If you’re eating well and still experiencing significant fatigue, it’s worth speaking to your GP to rule out deficiencies, particularly B12, vitamin D, iron and thyroid function, before investing in supplements.

Ready to understand what your body actually needs?

If you’re exhausted and frustrated by conflicting advice, I’d love to help. My Nourish & Thrive programme is a personalised 1:1 menopause nutrition programme designed to help you understand exactly what your body needs and to make the sustainable changes that genuinely shift how you feel.

The best first step is a free 15 minute discovery call – no pressure, just a conversation about where you are and how I might be able to help.

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