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Get your body ready for winter: the best supplements

Get ready for winter!

get ready for winter

Usually, with the arrival of winter, the lowest temperatures arrive.

And with the arrival of the cold, our body is more exposed and sensitive. It can undergo changes at various levels, both in metabolic terms, and in physiological or other terms.

As this season approaches, and as temperatures drop, we must prepare our bodies well.

But in what way?

Having a balanced diet, practice physical activity, wear adequate clothing and maintain good levels of hydration.

But will this be enough to keep our bodies healthy and to avoid winter epidemics?

Supplements can be a good way to help to strengthen our bodies during this period.

Here, you’ll get to know some of the main effects that winter has on our bodies, and a selection of supplements for winter!

Changes that our body may undergo during the winter

The changes that the body may undergo can be of metabolic or physiological, but also of emotional origin.

Regarding the metabolism, it tends to be slightly faster.

But why?

Because with cold, the body needs to make a greater effort to maintain its ideal temperature (36 to 37°C), using muscle contraction.

As a metabolic consequence, hunger tends to increase, in order to compensate the greater energy expenditure.

Nonetheless, as with all other seasons of the year, the diet should be balanced, giving preference to the intake of hot, comforting, and nourishing foods, such as soup, oatmeal, tea, and nuts.

In physical terms, there are other consequences caused by winter, such as:

  • Cracked lips
  • Joint pain
  • Dry skin
  • Colds

At an emotional level, changes occur as well, such as:

  • Feelings of sadness
  • Melancholia
  • Depression
  • Mood changes

This can occur, because in some people, short, cold, and gray days cause feelings of refuge and anguish, eventually potentiating a lack of energy and of good mood.

The change of seasons is one of the reasons for the appearance of depressions. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there’s even a name for this problem: Seasonal Affective Disorder.

“(…) is a type of depression that comes and goes with the seasons, typically starting in the late fall and early winter and going away during the spring and summer.”

One way to fight emotional changes, is through the practice of physical exercise, that, in addition to all the physical benefits, is proven to be fundamental to improve the mood.

To fight these changes, it’s important to have a good diet, good hydration and to practice exercise regularly and in a careful way, but supplementation can also bring several benefits, both to prevent and to relieve seasonal consequences.

Check out some examples of supplements that may help during this time of year!

Examples of supplements for winter

variety of supplements

Some examples of supplements that due to their characteristics become of great help at this time of year, are: vitamin D, vitamin C, collagen, tryptophan and green tea.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins in the set of vitamins that our body needs to ensure its proper functioning.

It’s quite common for people to have a deficiency of this vitamin, especially for people with darker skin (whose pigmentation reduces the production of vitamin D), or for people who don’t get much exposure to the sun, like people who live in northern countries.

According to an article by Harvard:

“Worldwide, an estimated 1 billion people have inadequate levels of vitamin D in their blood, and deficiencies can be found in all ethnicities and age groups.”

It’s a fundamental vitamin to maintain a healthy immune system and it’s important to maintain adequate levels of phosphorus and calcium, having a direct influence on bone formation and maintenance.

In addition, it influences the muscular function, also being important for athletes.

Vitamin D can be found in some foods and can be ingested as cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) or ergocalciferol (vitamin D2), but it’s mainly synthesized with the help of sunlight, through ultraviolet rays.

Given the decrease in sun exposure (which happens, mainly, at this time of year) and agitated daily life, it’s extremely important not to suffer from deficiencies at this level, with elderly and children being the main risk groups.

Collagen

Collagen is a protein whose function is to make various body structures firmer, such as the skin (which is also affected during winter), cartilage and bones.

According to a study by Porfirio and Fanaro, collagen supplementation increases bone mineral density, protects cartilage and relieves pain (being important in osteoporosis and osteoarthritis), and is also useful in winter.

Joint pains are common during this time of year.

According to Mcbeth, a specialist in pain research:

“Colder temperatures can shrink the tissues in our joints like our knees and hips, which can cause them to pull on the nerve endings and cause joint pain.”

Vitamin C

When you hear about winter and the importance of vitamins, vitamin C is perhaps the one that first comes to mind.

One of the main reasons, and according to several studies, is that it can help to prevent colds, which are very common at this time of year.

In addition, it has other functions, such as strengthening the immune system.

According to the article “Out in the cold”:

“(…) there’s also evidence that exposure to cold temperatures suppresses the immune system, so the opportunities for infection increase’’.

It’s also a supplier of skin rejuvenation components, it’s important for the absorption of iron, and for the formation of collagen, thus influences the functioning of cartilage, bones and joints, and has an antioxidant function, which helps to fight the formation of free radicals, that are responsible for damaging cellular tissue and which are also produced during physical exercise.

Speaking of physical exercise, vitamin C is essential to help reduce the feeling of tiredness and fatigue.

In addition, it influences our mental function, as it contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous and psychological systems.

Vitamin C is easily obtained through food. Citrus, kiwi, strawberry and broccoli are good examples of vitamin C sources.

However, sometimes fast and careless eating leads to a deficiency of this vitamin and, therefore, supplementation is important.

Tryptophan

It’s an essential amino acid (that must be obtained from the diet), that’s necessary for the production of serotonin (neurotransmitter that influences several psychological functions, and influences the feeling of well-being).

Its influence on states of anxiety, sadness and hunger is proven.

Therefore, tryptophan supplementation can be useful for individuals who are more prone to depressions, anxiety attacks, and uncontrolled hunger, something that can come with winter.

Green tea

Tea combines perfectly with winter.

It’s a good way to keep your body warm and, at the same time, healthy.

A good example of a tea that can be enjoyed at this time is green tea.

What properties distinguish green tea from others?

It’s rich in polyphenols, especially catechins, which are studied as being important to reduce appetite and body fat, to strengthen the immune system, and can help to prevent other diseases.

Green tea is high in caffeine, an important ingredient to help boost energy levels, something that may be affected during this time of year.

You can check out more tea options at Zumub.

Other Care – Other Supplements

There are more precautions that should be taken with the body, more specifically with the skin, which is greatly affected by the cold, for example:

  • Hydration of the lips
  • Cream on body and hands

winter supplements

In conclusion

Pay attention to your body and protect it in the best way.

These are just a few examples of supplements and of some things that your body may be more sensitive to during this time of year.

Don’t fear dietary supplements that can offer you numerous benefits throughout the year and, for more personalized clarifications, consult a health care professional.

Prevent and protect your body with supplementation – the key that was missing for a quiet winter.

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The information included in this article concerns the authors opinion only.

About Liliana Silvestre

Liliana Silvestre
Liliana Silvestre is a nutritionist with a degree in dietetics from ESSLEI. She has professional experience in various fields of nutrition, and she has a passion for healthy cooking. Her goal is to help as many people as possible to transform their lifestyles adopting more healthy habits.

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