The cold season is fast approaching, and the low temperatures, the “short” days, the predisposition to colds and flu, and a poor diet of fruits and vegetables, can all affect your well-being and health.
Doctors say that exposure to the sun, especially at lunchtime, a daily exercise program and the introduction of certain foods rich in omega-3 and vitamins and minerals can help combat the unpleasant symptoms that appear in the cold season. Many times, however, the body needs to be helped with vitamin supplements that strengthen the immune system and help you fight against seasonal diseases.
Here are the vitamins and minerals that should not be missing from your daily diet in the cold season, whether you take them from food or from supplements:
Vitamin A
It increases resistance to whooping cough, colds, and even the seasonal flu and has important antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help prevent the invasive action of free radicals, substances that can lead to illness. Vitamin A helps the eyes to adapt to different levels of light, which is important, especially during the winter.
C vitamin
By far, the star of the cold season is vitamin C, recognized for its role in stimulating immunity and preventing respiratory infections. Even if it does not prevent the onset of colds and flu, you will experience much less severe symptoms. If you consume enough citrus fruits, broccoli, kiwi or other fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C every day, there is no need to take vitamin C supplements. The daily dose of vitamin C is 35-65 mg for children, 60-100 mg for adults. If you are a smoker and you don’t want to catch a cold this winter, then eat as many kiwis, oranges, lemons, rose hips, red cabbage as possible. “A pack of cigarettes destroys the amount of vitamin C found in a lemon – 80 mg – more than the recommended daily dose. And against the backdrop of vitamin C deficiency, not only respiratory viruses, but also depressions, states of asthenia develop”. In addition, because it helps in the production of collagen, vitamin C helps you keep your skin beautiful, even on frosty and dry days.
The iron
Include spinach, red meat, broccoli, dried fruits, nuts, liver, and beans in your daily diet to be sure that you benefit from the amount of iron needed by the body to function at optimal parameters.
Iron is essential for the formation of red blood cells (cells), which carry oxygen throughout the body. An intake of iron is necessary for energy, intellectual performance, and vitality. Lack of iron leads to iron deficiency anemia. In this case, the body is unable to transport oxygen in the body, which causes lethargy and apathy. The excessive lack of iron affects the functioning of the organs.
Vitamin D
Because during the winter you don’t have the exposure to the sun necessary to synthesize vitamin D, you must either take vitamin D supplements or introduce foods that contain it into your diet, such as salmon, tuna, eggs, cheese, milk, And so on Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium and, therefore, for the health of the bone system, it helps the immune system and thus can be of great help in the fight against colds and flu.
