Top 5 Energy Supplements Without Caffeine

For most Americans, caffeine is the go-to solution for low energy, but it isn’t always the safest choice. In the long run, too much caffeine can cause serious damage, including heart problems, indigestion, and sleep disorders like insomnia. Even in small quantities, using caffeine to prop up flagging energy levels can disguise health problems and lifestyle issues. Or maybe it just gives you the jitters. 

Whether you’re trying to kick the coffee habit altogether, or just find a healthier alternative, our top five caffeine-free energy supplements can help boost your body’s natural energy cycle. 

#5 Caffeine-Free Energy Supplement: Vitamin B12

A popular ingredient in many energy drink formulas, Vitamin B12 (also known as Folic Acid) is one of the driving forces behind your body’s natural energy cycle.  

Like the other B Vitamins, Vitamin B12 helps your body transform food into energy. Specifically, B12 helps the body break down fats and complex carbohydrates and synthesize protein, fueling our muscles, and giving us the energy to get through the day. It also plays an essential role in cellular reproduction, making it a crucial element in rest and recovery from physical exertion. 

Why supplement Vitamin B12?

While most Americans receive the recommended daily value of Vitamin B12 (2.4mcg) through their diet, Vitamin B deficiency can be a serious issue for vegetarians, vegans, and older adults. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also show up in individuals who have undergone gastrointestinal surgery or have a gastrointestinal illness that impacts nutrient absorption, such as Crohn’s or celiac disease.  

What does Vitamin B12 deficiency look like? It looks (and feels) like: fatigue, heart palpitations, paleness, dementia, weight loss, and occasionally numbness and tingling in the feet and hands. 

Because Vitamin B12 is water-soluble, it’s generally considered safe and well-tolerated as a supplement, even if you think you might already be getting enough in your diet.

Where to buy Vitamin B12 supplement?

Looking for a high-quality source of Vitamin B12 to add to your supplementation regimen? We recommend Standard Process Folic Acid B12. 

Made from organic, whole-food ingredients like carrots, sweet potatoes and cow liver, Standard Process Cataplex® B12 offers supplemental nutrition in a way that’s easy for your body to absorb.

Unlike synthetic nutrients that are made in a lab, natural supplements like Standard Process Cataplex® B12 are generally considered safer, and in some cases more effective.    

For more total support, we recommend Dr. Snow’s Energy Support Bundle, which combines three potent caffeine-free supplements: Standard Process Cataplex® B (a comprehensive Vitamin B supplement), B Vitality with CoQ10 (includes Vitamin B12 for increased cellular energy support), and Diaplex (a chromium supplement that helps your body maintain stable blood sugar for all-day energy).    

#4 Caffeine-Free Energy Supplement: Rhodiola Rosea

In 2022, a study published in Molecules found a growing body of clinical evidence for Rhodiola rosea as a way to support chronic fatigue, burnout, and stress. Specifically, in a trial conducted among 128 primary care practices in Germany, Rhodiola was found to improve all indicators of chronic fatigue and mental focus. 

Another study demonstrated significant improvement in patients suffering from burnout (stress-related fatigue, depression, insomnia) following eight weeks of Rhodiola supplementation. Many participants saw improvement within just one week of using Rhodiola. 

Where can I buy Rhodiola rosea?

When it comes to selecting a Rhodiola supplement, it’s important to focus on quality. Part of Rhodiola’s energy-boosting power comes from a 3:1 balance of its two active compounds, rosavin and salidroside. Unfortunately, many supplements on the market use inferior ingredients that do not maintain this crucial balance. 

MediHerb’s Rhodiola & Ginsing Complex (by Standard Process) contains clinically effective levels of rosavins and salidroside. Not only does Mediherb’s Rhodiola supplement maintain that essential 3:1 balance, it rigorously tests its products to ensure quality in every bottle.

This supplement also contains Korean ginseng, a potent natural stress reliever, for 2-in-1 energy support. 

#3 Caffeine-Free Energy Supplement: Ashwagandha

Usually, we think of energy supplements as compounds that help us feel more awake. However, supporting our body’s natural sleep cycle is also a necessary part of energy production. After all, it’s hard to feel energized after a night spent tossing and turning. 

While many people use Ashwagandha for its anti-anxiety properties, this traditional Ayurvedic medicine also provides effective sleep support.

A 2021 study of existing ashwagandha trials found that participants who took ashwagandha supplements experienced a small but significant improvement in sleep duration and sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep) when compared to placebo. Even more compelling: participants experienced better sleep across the board, including those with sleep disorders (such as insomnia) and participants with normal sleep patterns. 

Buy Ashwagandha for Sleep

For high-quality sleep support, we recommend Standard Process Ashwagandha Forte. Ashwagandha Forte is a single-ingredient (so no fillers and additives) preparation of Ashwagandha root. Each Standard Process Ashwagandha Forte tablet contains 10mg of withanolides, the active component in Ashwagandha. 

Individuals who take thyroid medications should only use Ashwagandha under physician supervision. This supplement is not recommended for women who are pregnant or nursing.

#2 Caffeine-Free Energy Supplement: Iron

We normally think of iron as the micronutrient responsible for healthy blood cells and oxygen transport. And while this is accurate, it isn’t all that iron does. 

Iron also plays a critical role in energy production, metabolism, and movement, helping energy reach the muscles and brain. Low iron levels can often appear as fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headaches, and brittle nails and hair.  

In the United States, 1 in 3 women under the age of 50 are iron deficient. This makes sense: many women experience iron deficiency as a result of blood loss during menstruation. Even after your period ends, it can take time for the body to restore normal iron levels, leading to fatigue and exhaustion throughout the month.

Young female athletes in particular may benefit from an iron supplement, which can help normalize energy levels during their cycle. 

Iron levels also tend to drop during pregnancy, when part of the body’s blood supply is redirected toward the fetus. Iron deficiency during pregnancy is particularly dangerous as it can lead to premature birth, low birthweight, and even miscarriage–placing both mom and baby at risk. 

How to choose an iron supplement

With the prevalence of iron-deficiency, it's no surprise that iron supplements are increasingly popular. However, not all iron supplements are created equal. 

How your iron supplement is formulated, the quality of its ingredients, and how you take it can all impact the body’s ability to absorb it. Think about it: when we eat foods rich in iron, we’re usually taking in other vitamins and minerals at the same time. Whether we know it or not, these other nutrients are part of a complex absorption cascade that helps the body extract and process dietary iron into usable forms. 

However, in poor-quality iron supplements, these other vitamins and minerals aren’t present, meaning most of the iron content goes unused.

Quality iron supplements are often formulated to contain Vitamin C and B Vitamins to help the body process and use iron. They also tend to use food-based iron, which is gentler on the body  and less likely to cause unwanted side effects such as nausea and constipation, when compared to synthetic.

Standard Process Ferrofood® is an iron supplement that is designed for the body to absorb it. Derived from natural sources of heme iron, including cow liver, veal bone, and cow bone, Ferrofood® provides high-quality, targeted nutrition. This supplement also contains Vitamin C and Vitamin B12 (number 5 on this list) for better absorption and better energy.    

#1 Caffeine-Free Energy Supplement: Beet Root Powder

The secret to beets’ energy-boosting power is in their high nitrate content. When nitrate combines with saliva, it becomes nitric oxide, which expands blood vessels, causing blood and oxygen to travel further, faster. 

Studies show that beet root powder, beet juice, and other forms of beets have a serious benefit for athletic performance. Beets help increase endurance, lower energy expenditure during exercise, and shorten recovery time. 

And those benefits aren’t limited to athletes: beets can help the rest of us, too. Whether it’s walking up steep hills, carrying groceries, or even playing with the kids after a long day at work, energy and endurance matter outside the gym. 

Beet Root Supplements

We prefer Dr. Eric Snow’s Red Beet Power above other beet supplements. Why? Maybe we’re biased, but we did formulate it for maximum impact.

Unlike other beetroot supplements which are highly-processed, Red Beet Power uses organic, fermented beets to drive nitric oxide conversion. Instead of relying on your body’s ability to convert nitrates into usable nitric oxide (which decreases as we age), Red Beet Power contains naturally-occuring lactic acid bacteria which complete this process for you. 

As an added benefit, our fermentation process gives Red Beet Power a probiotic effect, stimulating the growth of healthy gut flora which will help your body extract greater energy and nutrition from the foods you eat.