Understanding Urban Fatigue Through Nutrition

— Satya Tiwari, MD & CEO- Voll Sante 

Urban tiredness, foggy thinking and the slow burn of burnout are so common now that many assume they’re just part of city life: long commutes, late nights, screens and stress. That explanation explains some of it, but it’s incomplete. A growing body of research points to a second, less visible cause - widespread microscopic nutritional shortfalls and impaired cellular repair that quietly erode energy generation, mental clarity and resilience. When cells can’t produce clean energy, when antioxidant systems are weak, and when key cofactors for brain and muscle function are missing, people feel tired even after “enough” rest.

Satya Tiwari 

National surveys confirm that anaemia remains high across the population. Studies also show that vitamin D insufficiency affects a large share of urban Indians, while deficiencies in vitamin B12 and iron are frequently reported among adults who complain of tiredness or poor concentration. Magnesium deficiency is an under-recognized contributor to urban fatigue. Low magnesium - common where diets are low in whole grains, nuts, seeds and leafy greens, and where stress and processed foods are prevalent - is linked to muscle weakness, poor sleep, anxiety and the brain fog people describe.

These nutrients are not minor extras. Iron carries oxygen and powers mitochondrial enzymes, B-vitamins act as essential cofactors for energy cycles and neurotransmitter synthesis, vitamin D influences muscle strength and mood, while magnesium supports mitochondrial enzymes and is also required for vitamin D metabolism. When levels of these nutrients run low, cells produce energy less efficiently and generate more oxidative stress, which further damages mitochondria and slows repair.

Over time, this biochemistry translates into the symptoms many city dwellers report: constant fatigue, foggy focus, low resilience and even reduced mobility. Screening and addressing iron, B12, vitamin D and magnesium together can therefore be more effective in improving outcomes for people with persistent tiredness.

Evidence also shows that correcting these shortfalls can make a real difference. Iron repletion reduces fatigue even before anaemia becomes severe. Vitamin B12 replacement restores neurological function when levels are low, and vitamin D correction improves muscle performance and mood. Clinical studies suggest mitochondrial cofactors such as Coenzyme Q10 may help people with persistent fatigue, especially where there are signs of oxidative stress. What matters most is a measured approach: testing for deficiencies first, then correcting with targeted, bioavailable nutrients rather than relying on one-size-fits-all multivitamins.

Absorption is a critical piece often overlooked. Urban diets heavy in processed foods, irregular meal timing and digestive issues reduce how much of a nutrient the body actually uses. Choosing better-absorbed forms - such as chelated minerals, active B-vitamin forms, or pairing iron-rich foods with vitamin C - improves results. Equally, everyday habits like spacing tea and coffee away from meals, including protein at each sitting, and using fermented foods to support gut health help the body extract more from what we eat.

Lifestyle changes complement nutrition in repairing energy systems. Consistent sleep, daily movement like brisk walking, and short stress-control practices reduce background metabolic strain and allow mitochondria to recover. Even small changes, when combined with targeted nutrient correction, can shift energy and clarity noticeably.

On a larger scale, workplaces and communities can make an impact by offering simple screenings, creating awareness about common deficiencies, and providing access to fortified or functional foods designed for better absorption. These steps are practical for city life and can improve both wellbeing and productivity.

Urban fatigue is not just about being busy. It is also about cells running below capacity because they lack the tools to make clean energy and repair themselves. The science is clear: checking and correcting iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin D levels, ensuring nutrients are absorbed efficiently, and supporting mitochondrial health can reduce the exhaustion that has come to define urban living. For anyone feeling persistently tired despite rest, the first step is not just more coffee or another weekend off - it is a simple blood test and a plan to rebuild energy from the cellular level up.

Nutraceutical Startup Laurik Raises INR 37 Million in the Ideation Stage

Laurik produces the world's first Lauric enhanced coconut shots developed by top scientists after 24 months of extensive research in health and beauty.

The startup is also one of the 100 brands in the world and second Nutraceutical brand in India to be awarded with the Clean Label Certification.

Laurik, a unique health elevator brand, which uses coconut derivative and provides the right nutrients in a shot, today announced that it has raised a funding amount of INR 37 million while just in its ideation stage. Laurik is also one of the 100 brands in the world and second Nutraceutical brand in India to be awarded with the Clean Label Certification from the Clean Label Project™.

Laurik is a D2C nutraceutical startup that produces the World's first Lauric enhanced coconut shots. It was founded in 2020 by Lavanya Sunkari and supported by Archana Chindam to improve long-term health and well-being of the people. Lavanya, who is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Laurik is a serial entrepreneur with over 15years of experience in brand building and strategies for established multi-national brands. She is also a certified nutrition expert from Stanford and the American Council on exercise. Archana Chindam who joined Laurik as the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, is a serial Food and Agritech entrepreneur and passionate about improving the health through better nutrition.

Lavanya Sunkari, Founder and CEO, Laurik said, “The goal of Laurik is to work towards empowering people to invest in a healthy lifestyle by providing them with a comprehensive blend of ingredients with well-researched benefits. Being recognized by the Clean Label Project™ as one of few companies in the world for creating clean products, validates our mission to unlock the power of nature with exceptional innovation to make products that are healthier, and safer for daily consumption"

The funding round was led by marquee investors like Murthy Aradhi, co-founder at FastCollab and Lakshmikant PB, Director of Finance at Antler, an early-stage venture capital firm. Laurik’s unique product has also received recognition from the Telangana government and T-Hub as they recently provided the startup with a fund through the T-Fund program.

The Indian market for plant-based nutraceuticals is witnessing robust growth following the outbreak of the COVID-19. Indian nutraceuticals market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.00% in the forecast period of 2022-2027. The startup aims to capture this growing market and use these funds primarily to strengthen research and development, expand the team size and scale its go-to-market operations. It will also use the funds for marketing its products and launching new product categories in the coming months.

Laurik produces the World’s first enhanced coconut shots using lauric acid, which a rare element that is found in mother’s milk and coconut. It extracts this element from the premium quality coconuts and combines it with over 26 whole-food-sourced vitamins, minerals, superfoods, and probiotics in one shot. These shots are made employing an age-old Ayurvedic concept developed after 24 months of extensive scientific research by top scientists from across the globe. The startup has also filed for over 12 formulation patents this year.

The Clean Label Certification from the Clean Label Project™ is a testament to the startup’s philosophy of being 100 per cent natural. Laurik received this highest level of United States (US) certification in recognition of its standard of quality in sourcing natural ingredients and manufacturing products that surpass industry norms.

Laurik provides a range of health shots that caters to haircare and skincare, which naturally improves the skin, hair, and overall health. The Laurik shots, namely hair shots, skin shots, collagen booster shots and anti-ageing shots come in pocket-friendly sachets and are easy to consume. Currently, there are 12 types of Laurik shots for both men and women that are available on the website Lauriko.com, and the startup soon plans to launch its products across several e-commerce platforms as well as supermarkets.

About Laurik:

Laurik is a D2C nutraceuticals brand. Laurik is the first brand in the world to have worked on the composition for health and beauty of enhanced coconut powder shots combined with 26 other potent ingredients developed by the top scientists of India. Laurik shots are certified by the top 10 food certifications, enabling Laurik to be a 100 per cent natural, global brand.

Nutrition-Tech Startup Habbit Health Raises Pre-Seed Funding from 3one4 Capital, AngelList India

Habbit Health and Nutrition Pvt Ltd, announced today that it has raised an undisclosed amount as a pre-seed investment from top global investors. VC firm 3one4 Capital and Utsav Somani of AngelList India led the round. Singapore based RB Investments, early stage investors Better Capital and First Cheque and multiple other well-known angel investors from around the world participated via AngelList. With rising per capita incomes, preventive healthcare market in India is expected to be over US$100 billion in 2022. The spend on nutrition, healthy foods, functional foods and supplements is expected to quadruple to over US$ 50 billion in the next decade, growing at 17% CAGR. Rapidly rising awareness about the importance of good nutrition is accelerating this trend in the top 10% of the population which accounts for over 40% of Indian consumption. 

Explaining his rationale behind the investment, Utsav Somani, Partner at AngelList India, said, “Health and wellness is the growth sector of the future. The Covid Pandemic has made everyone realize that good nutrition is a must have and not just for those who work-out. We are seeing lots of products and brands create clutter, without any differentiation. However, the products, brand positioning and customer love demonstrated by the Habbit team are a standout. We are happy to back them early in their mission to create a global leader in health and nutrition.” 

On their decision to invest, Anurag Ramdasan, Principal at 3one4 Capital, said, “The combination of deep product IP, unique brand experience in a large growing market and the extensive use of technology throughout the value chain, makes Habbit different from a regular niche D2C brand. The team with their stellar credentials is a prime contender to scale rapidly, raise the bar and deliver audacious results. Something that we at 3one4 capital live by.” 

Mr. Dhruv Bhushan, CEO, Habbit Health

Sharing the organizational vision, Dhruv Bhushan, Co-Founder & CEO, said, “Lifestyle diseases with their origin in poor nutrition are today’s biggest health concern. Still, there has been little innovation in the consumption category, making it irrelevant for an increasingly health aware audience. Habbit uses modern science and technologies to disrupt these with healthier alternatives, without needing to change user behaviour and still maintaining the same taste. Our IP and technology make us best suited to scale rapidly and capture a slice of this over US$100 billion opportunity. We are proud to have forward-thinking investors around the world supporting our long-term vision and ambitions, even before our launch.” 

 Added, Dev Kabir Malik, Co-Founder & Chief Brand Officer, “Most conversations around health are exercise and goal oriented. Brands are currently very product centric and positioned to target those who are highly involved in fitness. They are thus never able to create large scale impact. We believe that health is a lifestyle and that nutrition is the first step in the health journey, for everyone. Consistency is key, as the benefits of small steps compound over time. Health really is a Habbit” 

About Habbit: 

Founded by serial entrepreneur/angel investor Dhruv Bhushan and leading brand consultant Dev Kabir Malik, Habbit is a global nutrition-tech company that applies modern science to help consumers be healthier through a range of proprietary foods & digital ecosystem.

Based on path breaking global research, Habbit products are formulated using only modern natural ingredients, and make everyday nutrition simple, enjoyable and rewarding. Through alternate natural sources of proteins, fats and sugars, Habbit is making every consumable item as healthy as possible, without compromising on the taste. It will be launching in a phased manner, a wide portfolio of personalised products - from natural proteins for everyday use, to indulgent snacks, refreshing beverages and delightful ice creams. These products have already been tried and endorsed by thousands of top lifestyle, nutrition, health and fitness experts.

A tech-led gamified health journey aims to make the digital Habbit experience the easiest for consumers to be healthy. By promoting health as a lifestyle and not a goal-oriented activity, it allows a vast majority of the population to be healthy, and does not cater only to the fitness enthusiasts. In doing so, Habbit aims to build an innovative global FMCG company for the future which leverages technology to deliver the pinnacle of customer experience.  

Wellcurve.in, India's First Integrated Platform for Healthier Nutritional Choices and Information Goes Live

To meet the fast-growing need for high quality, healthier food and nutrition items, Wellcurve.in, India’s first integrated platform of leading brands, products and information have unveiled its online showroom, offering nutrition alternatives for a simplified healthier lifestyle.

Wellcurve’s tagline ‘Healthier Lifestyle Simplified’ encapsulates its two-fold mission. For the consumer, it brings together both relevant insights for your nutritional needs and selected products from a curated set of brands. For the brands, it offers an opportunity to connect with the right audience and reach out to the consumer looking for healthier choices.

Wellcurve.in is the brainchild of Nikhil Mehra, who has had an excellent journey across the Banking and Fashion Retail space, building hugely successful key account relationships.

Speaking about how Wellcurve.in will meet the expectations of the health-conscious, cognizant consumer, Nikhil Mehra, founder and CEO, Wellcurve said, “The old adage that health is wealth, is gaining momentum again. All of us want to make healthier lifestyle choices as nothing can be achieved with a body that does not perform to the best of its ability. There is no greater luxury than 'luxury within' hence investing in it is the most crucial choice one can make in life. Keeping this philosophy in mind, we started this online platform, which is a curation of the best brands in the nutrition space. A one-stop solution for our clients.”

The journey of Wellcurve.in has begun with 17 brands including Mom’s Love, Poshtick, Mojorbar, Yogabar amongst others, and will soon expand to over 60 brands in the next few weeks. Over 250 carefully curated products are spread across some of the popular categories, which include Breakfast, Snacks, and essential Staples.

Moreover, to make it simple and easy for consumers to search for products, Wellcurve products are categorized as per health goals such as Weight Loss, Improve Digestion, Increase Protein Intake, Boost Immunity/Energy and more. Another interesting category classification is as per trends with Vegan, Keto, Organic, and Gluten-free, which makes it very easy for the visitor to search for products as per diet preferences. The platform has a regularly updated, informative blog that provides useful nutrition-related information. Tips for healthier living are offered under “Did You Know” snippets, interspersing the product showcase that makes it very interesting for the user to browse Wellcurve.

The platform will continue to add to its list of curated offerings. Wellcurve.in has already received keen interest from some High Networth family offices.'

About Nikhil Mehra



A Chartered Accountant by education, a member of the Young Presidents Organisation (YPO) and also currently enrolled as part of the Owner/President Management (OPM) program at Harvard Business School, Nikhil Mehra is ready to take on the health space. With significant insights into the behavior of the Indian consumer, Nikhil taps in with his new venture, Wellcurve.in.

Nikhil Mehra’s journey across Banking and Fashion Retail speak a similar story. He builds hugely successful key account relationships, grows these into win-win partnerships, and runs seamless operations teams to deliver the promise. Thinking strategic and new business at all times is at the core.

Genesis under his captaincy was built into India’s largest brand partner for Luxury Fashion & Apparel brands, becoming the partner of choice for the world’s top brands, from Burberry, Armani, to Hugo Boss, Jimmy Choo amongst others.

About Wellcurve.in

Wellcurve.in, India’s first integrated platform of leading brands, products, and information. The platform aims at supporting nutrition with information, to tell you things as they are so you can make an informed choice. Wellcurve offers a large range of handpicked, curated products, vetted for their benefits, and shipped to your home. The platform takes pride in being responsible for the highest product quality.