
Temperatures have dropped this past month and the sun is going in for the winter which rings in symptoms such as stress on your immune system. Yes, it is true, you really do tend to get sick more often during the winter months, especially with COVID-19 rates increasing the months between December and February. Whilst this sounds all gloom and doom and you may feel you just want to curl up in a ball and hideaway, this simply isn’t realistic. Instead, you could just take better care of yourself, such as frequently washing your hands and socialising to relieve the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Another easy thing you can do to boost your immune system is to take your vitamins, multivitamins are a great all-rounder, but sometimes you may need to get targeted vitamins. In this article, we will go through some of the top vitamins to take to tackle this winter.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and has been known to be a saviour for those winter months for a range of reasons. Firstly, it helps to strengthen your bones due to it aiding the absorption of calcium. In recent years, studies have also found that vitamin D has a correlation with our immune response meaning that if you are deficient in the vitamin, you may be more susceptible to falling ill and infection. We get our vitamin D from either our diet or the sun as our skin forms a chemical reaction to create it.
B Vitamins
These vitamins are water-soluble, meaning that you need to have your intake each day. These collectively are known as vitamin B complex which includes thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, folate and cobalamin. They all have their own properties and aid in cell metabolism. B complex also helps with your immune system as it gives you a boost of life and contributes to overall wellbeing.
Zinc
Zinc is classed as an essential mineral and it helps to fend off viruses and bacteria which makes it essential in the winter months when the cold and flu cases are rife. Zinc has been studied to suggest that it is effective in preventing the common cold and reducing symptoms. Another fantastic function is that it promotes the production of antibodies.
Vitamin C
Well, this vitamin needs no introduction. It has numerous benefits and is a fantastic all-rounder.
It keeps your cells healthy, as well as your cartilage, blood vessels, bone and skin. It is also used for healing wounds such as small cuts and scrapes. It is often thought that vitamin C aids in curing a common cold. This just isn’t true, nothing can cure a cold. What vitamin C does do though is reduce the severity of the symptoms due to a boost in your immune system.
There are many different supplements and vitamins that can help you to tackle the winter months. Although there is no cure for the common cold, a healthy balanced diet can do you all the world of good, add in regular exercise and you should be okay this winter.