Winter is coming, temperature is dropping and the sun hibernating, there’s no denying that the sniffing season is finally here—and with the season comes increased stress and strain on your immune system. Here's our pick of the vitamins to keep you healthy during this winter.
Our bodies have thousands of chemical processes and reactions going on in each cell, every second of the day. Our cells require vitamins and minerals to continually process the proteins, fats and carbohydrates from the foods we eat.
Vitamins and minerals are essential parts of these chemical reactions. Without them, essential body functions couldn't take place which can lead to deficiencies, health problems and in severe cases illness and disease.
Usually, we can get all the vitamins and minerals we need from a healthy diet. But we all know at times our busy lifestyles, schedules and work commitments can interfere with maintaining a healthy diet. Taking vitamin supplements can be a simple way to ensure we aren't missing out on the essential vitamins and minerals that our bodies need every day, especially during the cold months ahead of us. Winter also brings extra downsides. Shorter days mean less exposure to sunlight, cold temperature means less time spent outdoors, there are fewer options for fresh produce at farmer’s market, and more weather-beaten dry skin. On top of that, COVID-19 rates seem to spike in the wintertime.
What to do?
Keeping your immune system healthy and balanced is the key to preventing infections and disease. You can do this simply by making healthy lifestyle choices — like eating nutritious foods, getting optimal sleep and exercising.
But it’s also about taking precautions too. Viruses and bacterial infections are rife during the winter, but that’s not necessarily due to the cold weather.
Respiratory infections are transferred from person to person much more easily in winter. This is for two reasons: firstly, because we tend to spend more time indoors in enclosed spaces, so germs are passed much quicker when you come into close contact with someone who is already sick. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that social distancing does actually minimise your risk of transmitting illness.
Secondly, viruses (like the flu for example) thrive in cold, dry air. Low humid environments, such as those in winter, cause the air to be much drier. Research suggests that these dry conditions offer the perfect environment for the flu virus to flourish. That’s because when the virus is expelled into the air (via breathing or via germs on your hands), that little bit of moisture that surrounds the virus evaporates. As a result, the virus remains in the air for a longer period of time, allowing someone sufficiently close to breathe it in.
In addition to staying active and breathing fresh air as much as you can it can help to focus on some specific vitamins and minerals that are known to balance the effects of winter on the body.
Here are seven vitamins that could improve your health this season.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is essential for the optimal function of immune cells within the body. Hence, the regular intake or higher dosage during a cold and flu will help reduce the severity and duration of the infection.
If you’re vitamin C deficient, it means your immune cells won’t function properly, and you’re more at risk of illness and infection. Whilst vitamin C won’t necessarily cure a cold, keeping your levels topped up in advance will reduce your chances of illness from the outset.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is often referred to as “the sunshine vitamin”, quite simply because your body produces vitamin D naturally when it’s directly exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D can also be absorbed by the body through diet — with certain foods and supplements — to ensure that you have adequate levels in your blood.
Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium, promote bone growth and strengthen the immune system. It basically keeps your body healthy and your immune system strong enough to fight off infections, which is essential in winter when cold and flu season is rife. The irony is that in winter, when people need vitamin D the most, most of us are not getting enough, so the risk of illness is even higher if your vitamin D levels are low. Although it’s difficult to obtain enough vitamin D from diet alone, so you can also take supplements to increase your levels.
Here are our pharmacist, Daniel Zhou’s recommendations.
Immunity Boosters
Research has proven that supplementing the body with specific vitamins, minerals, herbs and other substances may help to boost immune response, and potentially protect against infections and illnesses. Supplements essentially give your body that extra line of defence to ward off illnesses before they strike. The idea of immunity boosters is to have a combination of of those vitamins in one tablet.
We asked Daniel Zhou, our in-house pharmacist, to give his expert advice on how to stop illness the natural way. Here are of the best immune-boosting supplements to keep your body fighting during this winter.
Probiotics
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for you, especially your digestive system. They help to maintain or improve the good bacteria already present in the human body.
Probiotic supplements are known to enhance immunity and digestive health, are beneficial to take during winter time. There’s no better time to focus on strengthening the immune system with friendly bacteria.
Winter is also known for being the season we tend to eat more. Most people would agree that winter is the season for rich, hearty foods. Heavy, carb-laden dishes, sugary treats and creamy sauces are all staples of the cold weather diet. Probiotics can also help the digestive health, some probiotics prevent the absorption of dietary fat in the intestine while others may also help you feel fuller for longer, burn more calories and store less fat.
Studies have shown that probiotic supplements can help with a number of health issues, including digestive and gastrointestinal health, mental health, immunity and general health.
Here are our pharmacist, Daniel Zhou’s recommendations:
Another problem we face during winter is dry skin. Winter’s cold climate really does take its toll on our skin. And we don’t just mean our face. Dry skin is winter’s nemesis, and it can strike anywhere, from our legs to our hands, to our elbows, to our toes. The same tends to occur to our hair, suddenly it starts to become dull, dry and frizzy. Your skin and hair need the right balance of nutrients to do its main job: a barrier that protects the rest of your body from things outside it. To help keep your skin looking, working, and feeling good, feed it well from the inside. If you’re deciding which ones to ingest, here are some of the best vitamins for a glowing skin.
Collagen
Collagen makes up about one-third of the protein in your body. It is a protein responsible for healthy joints and skin elasticity, or stretchiness. It’s in your bones, muscles, and blood, comprising three quarters of your skin and a third of the protein in your body.
Collagen is a type of protein. In fact, it’s the most abundant structural protein in animals. A structural protein is one that makes up the structure or framework of your cells and tissues.
When you take a collagen supplement or eat foods rich in collagen, you are consuming collagen that comes from an animal, however, there is also a vegan collagen! Collagen peptides is the option for beauty-conscious folks.
Because it makes up so many critical parts of our bodies, collagen is not only beneficial but essential to maintaining good health. You can buy collagen in powder, capsule, and liquid form and take it as a supplement or add it to beverages — both hot and cold — and foods such as oatmeal, yogurt, and energy balls.
Here are our pharmacist, Daniel Zhou’s recommendations:
Silica
Silicon dioxide (SiO2), also known as silica, is a natural trace mineral made from a combination of silicon and oxygen. It’s found naturally in many plants, such as leafy greens and whole grains. You can also find it in the form of supplements or extracts.
It’s a well-known compound that has countless applications, but it’s only recently being explored as something that could greatly benefit human health.
Silica is usually referred to as the “beauty mineral" because it is believed to keep skin, nails, hair and teeth healthy, help oxygenate the skin, reduce the signs of aging and to brighten the skin with continued use. Nonetheless, some new studies are also showing promising results in different areas such as helping in strengthening the body's connective tissue, working as an anti-inflammatory and helping to balance hormones
Here are our pharmacist, Daniel Zhou’s recommendations:
Loved our advice on immune-boosting supplements? We've got lots more health advice on our Health & Wellness Edit, guaranteed to give your body a well-deserved boost. Worried you could have diabetes? Find out what your headache is trying to tell you.
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