Feeling sluggish this winter? Experts say your body may be missing these key nutrients

While the “unhappiest day of the year” has been debunked, experts say seasonal fatigue and low mood are common — and often biological.

The third Monday of January is commonly referred to as ‘Blue Monday’ since the term was coined in 2005.

While the idea that one specific day is the unhappiest day of the year has since been debunked, the ‘winter blues’ – and in more severe cases, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – are very real for many Canadians.

“Blue Monday isn’t a scientifically determined day, but it’s a good reminder that at this time of year, people do struggle with things like fatigue and lower energy for many different reasons,” Tanya ter Keurs, co-founder and clinical director of NiaHealth, tells Now Toronto.

Traditionally, treatments like cognitive behavioural therapy or light therapy have been shown to help ease symptoms of SAD. At NiaHealth, health practitioners are looking beyond those approaches.

“We absolutely don’t want to ignore mental and emotional health,” ter Keurs says. “We’re recognizing that they are very linked to biological and physical health.”

NiaHealth is a proactive health platform designed by clinicians that offers biomarker testing to help people better understand and optimize their overall wellness.

“A biomarker can provide information about how your body is functioning,” ter Keurs explains. “We’re looking at micro-nutrients, we’re looking at blood biomarkers that tell us how your body is processing nutrients.”

Through a variety of extensive testing, NiaHealth helps Canadians get a clearer picture of their biological and physiological needs. Each client receives a clinician-reviewed digital dashboard and can then meet with a nurse practitioner to review the results and develop an action plan. 

According to NiaHealth data, most people have at least one biomarker linked to mood, energy, or cognitive symptoms.

“Through this comprehensive biomarker testing, we’re able to pinpoint some areas where [someone] may be able to make changes through their diet, exercise, or sleep,” ter Keurs says.

Many Canadians may be unknowingly dealing with nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalances, or blood-sugar irregularities.

“We identify risk early before it becomes a problem,” ter Keurs adds. “If we are able to correct these deficiencies early, we can change the course of risk by improving longevity and improving health span.”

Common biological factors linked to Blue-Monday-type symptoms include:

• High calcium: anxiety, brain fog, depression
• Low ferritin: fatigue, anxiety, brain fog
• Low vitamin D: possibly fatigue, mood changes
• Low Vit B12: depression or irritability
• Low testosterone: fatigue, depression
• High blood glucose: fatigue
• Low blood glucose: irritability

“I feel really sleepy when I wake up [in the winters], even if I sleep nine to ten hours,” Nico tells Now Toronto.

New to Toronto and training for a race later this year, Nico takes Vitamin C in the winter months – something his family doctor back in France recommended for him. 

Marion, meanwhile, says her doctor advised her to take Vitamin D during the winter months.

“If I can’t get out, at least the ‘sunshine vitamin’ is getting in me,” she tells Now Toronto.

Vitamin D supplementation is commonly recommended for Canadians in the winter months and generally safe, even without physician guidance.

“In the northern hemisphere, very few – probably none of us – get enough Vitamin D, because the best source of Vitamin D is from the sun,” ter Keurs says.

For other nutrients, however, she recommends consulting a health practitioner before self-diagnosing deficiencies based on the symptoms alone.

“With most supplements, if we take too much of them, it can be not good for us,” ter Keurs says. “We definitely don’t want to be taking supplements just for the sake of taking supplements. … It’s important that we are only supplementing when supplementation is necessary.”