How to prepare the body in the summer so as not to get sick in the cold season: life hacks
You may have come across the point of view that over the summer you can eat a lot of fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins, and store a large number of nutrients in the body. In fact, this is not the case. Eating seasonal fruits is tasty, correct, and healthy. But overeating to stay healthy all winter and spring is a waste of time. Together with iHerb expert, nutritionist Galina Grosheva, we figure out why it is impossible to stock up on vitamins for future use and how to cope with winter vitamin deficiency.
Where to get vitamins
It’s worth starting with a little immersion in biology, chemistry, and body structure. As you know, vitamins are vital substances for a person: without them, we cannot function normally. The body produces some of the vitamins on its own (for example, vitamin D under the influence of ultraviolet radiation), but most of it comes into the body with food. And then the body uses these substances for its own needs.
Now let’s talk about the structure of the vitamins themselves. Vitamin C, as well as B vitamins (folic acid, biotin, vitamin PP) and some other compounds, are water-soluble. And because of their solubility in water, they do not accumulate in the body (in significant quantities): everything that has not “gone to work” is quickly excreted along with the urine. So much vitamins and products containing them should be eaten daily.
Vitamins A, D, E, K are fat-soluble. This means that the body can store them in the liver and adipose tissue. However, saving them for future use will still not work. The body physically cannot accumulate enough molecules to last for several months. Plus an excess of certain vitamins, or hypervitaminosis, is a condition no less dangerous than hypovitaminosis or vitamin deficiency. It can lead to serious intoxication, and the consequences will have to be treated.
What is the danger of an excess of vitamins?
The most dangerous in this sense is vitamin A. Overdose leads to nausea, headache, peeling of the skin and bleeding of the lips, and in serious cases – disturbances in the functioning of the heart, liver, and nervous system. Excess vitamin D is also dangerous due to excess calcium absorption. It turns out that overeating fruits and berries in the summer in order to assimilate and preserve more vitamins is an ineffectual idea. In addition, some vitamins cannot be retained in the body, an excess of others is a serious health threat. In addition, in winter you can find foods rich in various useful micro and macroelements.
If you still want to receive the cherished trace elements from summer vegetables and fruits in winter, prepare them for future use in the summer. But do not resort to traditional canning – very few vitamins are stored in such products, and not the most useful salt, sugar, and vinegar are also used as a preservative. It is better to freeze vegetables and fruits, and they are fresh, only from the garden, so that vitamins will really remain in them. But this is not always enough to cover the winter deficit.
In order not to feel weakness and general deterioration of mood, which are often caused by hypovitaminosis, in the cold season, it is recommended to replenish the missing trace elements with vitamin and mineral complexes.
What vitamins are needed in the cold season
We sharply feel the lack of vitamin D precisely in winter, during a period of low solar activity. It can be obtained from fish, dairy products, and porcini mushrooms, but its content in most products is quite low, this is not enough to replenish the daily requirement. Vitamin D contributes to the production of melanin, helps to cope with seasonal blues and low immunity. It is important to take vitamin D all year round to keep your body at the proper levels.
Vitamin C is not synthesized in the body but comes to us only with food. In winter, it is especially important – this macronutrient has strong immuno-strengthening properties, and also stimulates metabolism. It will not completely protect against colds, but it will significantly reduce the severity of the course of the disease.
Another must-have of the winter season is vitamin E. It is called the vitamin of beauty: it is important for maintaining healthy skin. Aggressive external influences – strong wind and frost cause dryness, irritation, and flaking. Vitamin E B helps to retain water, makes the skin soft and supple and the hair shiny.
Vitamins must be taken correctly, otherwise, they may be less absorbed or unsafe. You need to take dietary supplements in a course (most often, at least a month) and make sure that vitamins are combined with each other. Before choosing a vitamin complex, it is better to get tested and consult a doctor or nutritionist.