Awaiting clinical review. This page is built from sourced entries but has not yet been signed off by a pharmacist or clinician.
Natural remedies for energy and fatigue
Direct answer
Nothing in this hub is better than Limited: rhodiola is the best-supported for stress-related fatigue, but rests on small, short trials that reviewers disagree about, and a 2023 meta-analysis found no significant overall reduction in fatigue from ginseng. Guarana and yerba mate feel stimulating mainly because they contain caffeine, so count them in your daily total (EFSA's no-concern level for healthy adults is 400 mg a day from all sources). Tiredness that lasts more than a few weeks without an obvious reason needs a GP, because anaemia, thyroid problems, diabetes and sleep apnoea all cause it.
Compare the options
Click a column heading to sort.
| Rated for | Typical form & use | Main caution | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ginseng Panax ginseng (root) | Limited | General fatigue | Mixed ginseng products in trials | May lower blood sugar and disturb sleep | 4+ weeks |
| Guarana Paullinia cupana (seed) | Limited | Everyday tiredness and alertness | Capsule; check caffeine per serving | Contains caffeine; count it in your daily total | Same night |
| Rhodiola Rhodiola rosea (root and rhizome) | Limited | Stress-related fatigue and burnout | Ethanol extract, 144–400 mg daily | Not for pregnancy; check with antidepressant use | 4+ weeks |
| Yerba mate Ilex paraguariensis (leaf) | Traditional | Energy and alertness | Tea, about 78–196 mg caffeine/500 mL | Contains caffeine; drink below 65 °C | 4+ weeks |
- Rated for
- General fatigue
- Form
- Mixed ginseng products in trials
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Everyday tiredness and alertness
- Form
- Capsule; check caffeine per serving
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- Stress-related fatigue and burnout
- Form
- Ethanol extract, 144–400 mg daily
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Energy and alertness
- Form
- Tea, about 78–196 mg caffeine/500 mL
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
Quick picks
For stress-related fatigue, the main trial (60 people, 28 days, 576 mg daily extract) found only a small edge over placebo on a burnout scale (p = 0.047), and two systematic reviews disagree on how much weight to give the trials. Rated Limited; avoid it in pregnancy and ask first if you take an antidepressant.
Traditional favouriteGinsengA meta-analysis of 19 trials found no significant overall reduction in fatigue (SMD −0.36, 95% CI −0.82 to 0.11), though non-disease fatigue improved in a subgroup with small effect sizes. The EU regulator lists it for tiredness and weakness on traditional use alone; it can disturb sleep and may lower blood sugar.
Talk to a doctor first if…
Who should avoid
Rhodiola, ginseng and guarana are not advised in pregnancy or breastfeeding, and rhodiola and ginseng are not recommended under 18. Guarana and yerba mate are sources of caffeine, so ask a clinician first with heart rhythm problems, anxiety or high blood pressure, and avoid them close to bedtime. Ginseng may worsen autoimmune conditions, and very hot yerba mate (above 65 °C) is linked to oesophageal cancer.
Known interactions
Ginseng may weaken the effect of warfarin (one small trial in healthy volunteers found American ginseng lowered it, another in stroke patients found no effect) and may lower blood sugar, so check with a clinician if you take warfarin or diabetes medicines. Rhodiola has isolated reports of agitation with SSRIs such as sertraline and paroxetine and reduced conversion of losartan in one study, though the regulator says no clinically relevant interactions have been observed. Caffeine from guarana and yerba mate adds to coffee, tea and energy drinks.
Before you reach for an ingredient
Before or alongside an ingredient, look at sleep, activity and medical causes of tiredness, which are more common than a shortage of any herb.
- The NHS lists poor sleep, an unhealthy diet, little exercise, stress and low mood among the common causes of tiredness, and advises regular sleep times aiming for 6 to 9 hours, a relaxing bedroom, no caffeine, food or exercise in the couple of hours before bed, and no screens in the hour before.7
- Exercise is often suggested for fatigue: a 2006 meta-analysis found regular exercise increased feelings of energy compared with control conditions (effect size 0.37), but the effect was absent in the studies that used a placebo control, so the benefit may partly reflect expectation.8
- See a GP if you have felt tired for a few weeks without knowing why, it affects daily life, or it comes with weight loss, mood changes or loud snoring and gasping at night. The NHS says blood tests can check for anaemia, diabetes and an overactive thyroid.7
Questions people ask
What is the best natural supplement for tiredness?
None has good evidence. Rhodiola is the best-supported, for stress-related fatigue, but the trials are small and rated Limited. Ginseng's pooled result was not significant overall. Sleep, activity and checking for a medical cause come first.
Is guarana or yerba mate better than coffee?
There is no evidence either beats caffeine on its own. A pharmacy review found no effect of guarana beyond its caffeine, and we found no trial of mate for alertness. Add their caffeine to your daily total, and drink mate below 65 °C.
Can ginseng help with fatigue?
Possibly a little. A 2023 meta-analysis of 19 trials found no significant overall reduction in fatigue, but small benefits in general fatigue not caused by disease. Insomnia is the most common side effect, and it may lower blood sugar.
When is tiredness a sign of something else?
If you have been tired for a few weeks without an obvious reason, or it comes with weight loss, mood changes, palpitations or loud snoring, see a GP. Anaemia, diabetes, an overactive thyroid, sleep apnoea and ME/CFS can all present as tiredness.
Sources
- Systematic review Ishaque S, Shamseer L, Bukutu C, Vohra S. Rhodiola rosea for physical and mental fatigue: a systematic review. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2012.
- Systematic review Hung SK, Perry R, Ernst E. The effectiveness and efficacy of Rhodiola rosea L.: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Phytomedicine. 2011.
- Randomised trial Olsson EM, von Schéele B, Panossian AG. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract SHR-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue. Planta Med. 2009.
- Meta-analysis Li X, Yang M, Zhang YL, Hou YN, Smith CM, Korenstein D, Mao JJ. Ginseng and Ginseng Herbal Formulas for Symptomatic Management of Fatigue: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Integr Complement Med. 2023.
- Systematic review Hack B, Penna EM, Talik T, Chandrashekhar R, Millard-Stafford M. Effect of Guarana (Paullinia cupana) on Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2023.
- Regulator summary EFSA. EFSA explains risk assessment: Caffeine (summary of the 2015 EFSA NDA Panel scientific opinion on the safety of caffeine).
- Regulator/health agency NHS. Tiredness and fatigue. National Health Service (page last reviewed 2 June 2023).
- Meta-analysis Puetz TW, O'Connor PJ, Dishman RK. Effects of chronic exercise on feelings of energy and fatigue: a quantitative synthesis. Psychol Bull. 2006.
Draft, awaiting clinical review