Vitamins You Need To Cope With Season Changes This Fall and Winter: GNA Naturals Suggests
When seasons change, it is time to pay attention to your body’s changing needs. Typically, with the onset of fall, your body must adjust to changes as temperatures steadily drop. As a result, several aspects of your health are affected, especially in the fall and winter. This article gives you useful tips to help you cope with these changes.
Essential Nutrients To Help You Cope With Season Change
Shorter days mean fewer opportunities to be outdoors and soak up the sun. While taking a trip to tropical places sounds like an exciting alternative, it is neither too practical nor always possible. Chances are, you may find yourself dealing with otherwise unusual troubles like lack of sleep, low moods, fatigue, dry skin, hair fall, dehydration, and so on. What can you do to avoid this and stay healthy?
In addition to maintaining an active lifestyle and getting as much fresh air as possible, it can be beneficial to consume certain vitamins and minerals to counteract winter's negative effects on the body.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C nourishes the skin, maintains bones and teeth, helps the body detoxify, and speeds up wound healing. It also fortifies the immune system, helping you avoid cold and flu. These are only a few of the many advantages it offers!
Vitamin D
The majority of us are likely to develop a deficiency in vitamin D during the winter months because vitamin D is mainly acquired from the sun, and getting enough sun during the winter months is much more difficult. However, not getting Vitamin D can be damaging to your health. Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption and metabolism of vital minerals, the promotion of healthy cell formation, and the regulation of the immune system. These functions help with the prevention of disease and the efficient functioning of basic life activities.
Folic acid
While many foods we consume naturally consist of folate, a synthetic form of this nutrient, albeit with lesser bioavailability, is folic acid. Since both forms enable mood regulation, getting enough throughout the winter months may help you avoid those low moods in the winter. Additionally, it can aid in the prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer, and it promotes the formation of healthy cells.
Iron
Iron assists in maintaining a healthy immune system throughout the winter season when colds and flu are prevalent. It also helps maintain a healthy level of energy despite the shorter days and reduced amount of physical activity. Additionally, iron facilitates the transportation of oxygen throughout your body, replenishing all of your organs and ensuring that they continue to perform at optimum capacity.
Zinc
Zinc is an antioxidant that works to protect cells from harm caused by free radicals, aid in the healing of damaged tissue, maintain hormone balance, and promote healthy immunity and digestion. Without it, you run the risk of falling sick and feeling exhausted, which is a trend that is already all too prevalent in the winter!
Why Vitamin D Is Crucial To Staying Healthy In Fall And Winter
Vitamin D is a hormone that our bodies produce as well as a vitamin that comes from the food we eat. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that has long been recognized for its role in assisting the body to absorb and store calcium and phosphorus, both of which are essential for the formation of bone. Studies have shown that vitamin D benefits include inhibiting the development of cancer cells, assisting in the management of infections, and reducing inflammation.
Vitamin D receptors have been found in a significant number of the body's organs and tissues, which hints at crucial activities beyond those related to bone health. Scientists continue to explore vitamin D benefits for human health. That brings up the question you may often have, ‘how much vitamin d3 should I take daily?’
According to experts, if the vitamin D level in the blood is below 12 ng/mL, it indicates a deficiency. Further, levels below 20 ng/mL are considered to be too low for good bones and general well-being. On the other hand, according to some experts, the recommended level needs to be higher and consider anything lower than 30 ng/mL as being indicative of deficiency.
Since vitamin D levels are reliant on sun exposure, determining the appropriate amount of vitamin D to consume through food can be tough. This changes from person to person and, among other things, depends on a number of factors, such as where they reside and the time of year. Hence, the guidelines for the recommended intake of Vitamin D are based on the notion of a person spending minimal time in the sun. The amount of nutrients that should be consumed through food is measured in IU.
According to the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB), here is the recommended daily Vitamin D intake for age groups 0 to 12 months, 1 year to 70 years, and 70 years and beyond are 400 IU, 600 IU, and 800 IU, respectively. Daily consumption of 1,500–2,000 IU of vitamin D is recommended by the guidelines of the Endocrine Society for individuals who have vitamin D levels that are below 30 ng/mL in order to restore healthy levels of vitamin D. Alternative treatments for vitamin D insufficiency include weekly or monthly doses of 50,000 IU of vitamin D.