This $24 Amazon Supplement Gives Me Energy When It's 2 P.M. and I Am DONE

Good news: Experiencing a daily 2 p.m. slump where you're all the sudden overcome with an inability to be productive does not make you a lazy piece of garbage—according to the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), late-in-the-day energy lags are something most human beings experience naturally. The tricky part is that as professional adults, we're still required to work through the afternoon, meaning we sometimes resort to unhealthy means to reboot our energy. For me, this has historically involved cookies from the drawer of sin at my office, which I use to spike my blood sugar but inevitably results in a rapid crash.

Recently, however, I've discovered a few stimulating supplements, on Amazon no less, that have been my saving grace during these afternoon slumps. Because I eat a plant-based diet, supplements can sometimes be hard to find, but these affordable vegan vitamins do the trick. If you're looking for energy-boosting, plant-based supplements that will show up on your doorstep within two days, you've come to the right place. Read on to discover my three favorites (plus a few other highly reviewed picks from Amazon).

I think most multivitamins taste like chalk, not to mention that swallowing a pill is not exactly my idea of a delicious snack, but these chewy berry-flavored gummies have seriously been life-changing. In the mid-afternoon, I pop four of these puppies into my mouth (that's the serving size, and though it feels like I'm eating gummy candy, I'm getting a massive dose of unprocessed, non-artificial, plant-based vitamins and minerals, including the B vitamins that skyrocket your energy.

This energy- and metabolism-boosting green superfood powder tastes like mint chocolate chip while supplying you with all the productivity-enhancing nutrients of barley grass, wheat grass, spirulina, adaptogens, and antioxidants, just to name a few of its too-healthy-to-be-true ingredients. Recently I've been adding one to-go packet of the stuff to a bowl of plain oatmeal, and it seriously tastes like a cookie.

People generally have mixed feelings about caffeine, but doctors agree that there's actually no scientific reason to need to cut it out of your diet. "The combination of antioxidants in coffee and tea along with a moderate dose of caffeine is neuroprotective," a brain health expert named Mike Dow, PsyD, once explained to us. Matcha has been my natural caffeine source of choice as of late, especially since it's packed with antioxidant flavonoids, which reduce your risk for a variety of diseases.

The following four vegan supplements are ones that I haven't personally tried yet, but they are favorites of Amazon consumers, who say this red ginseng cures brain fog, enhances focus, improves circulation, and (bonus) increases sex drive. "Good clean energy, no upset stomach, no jitter," one reviewer writes.

For folks who work out a lot, this branched-chain amino acid supplement combines energy-boosting antioxidants with pure, plant-derived BCAAs for muscle repair and recovery. "This energy formula has to be by far the best product I have taken so far," one Amazon reviewer writes. "I take a scoop once in the morning then head to the gym and do high-intensity workouts and it gives me a super push to go longer and harder. Second scoop is at lunchtime and it lasts all the way until night to finish the rest of my day."

Vitamin B12 can be an important supplement for vegans, as there are no natural plant sources that offer enough of the nutrient. Thus, many folks who are B12-deficient experience chronic fatigue, stress, and brain fog. This liquid is one of the highest vegan B12 supplements on Amazon and is one that reviewers say truly absorbs and ups their B12 levels, according to blood tests at the doctor's office.

One of Amazon's most beloved vegan energy boosters is this iron supplement, which helps deliver oxygen to the blood, energizing both the body and mind. With over 1000 positive reviews, consumers say the product made them feel more energized and less sluggish in a matter of mere days.

Want more vitamin recommendations? Don't miss our advice on the supplements you should be taking in your 20s and 30s.