Taking nutritional measures before winter comes around can spare you a few health misfortunes. Winter weather can affect you on a mental as well as physical level. Anything from the flu to depression can be the result of malnutrition during the winter months. Thankfully, there are supplements you can take to ward off these misfortunes.
Winter Affects Energy and Mood
Before you decide to stock up on supplements for the winter, consider what kinds will be the most beneficial. It’s well known that energy levels might decrease during the winter months. There is even evidence that it might lead some people to experience feelings of depression. This is called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and it affects millions of people every year.
Both of these conditions alone can be counteracted by taking the right B vitamin supplements. The B-complex formulas are the most beneficial. They include B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B12 and folic acid. While this might seem like a lot, there are plenty of B-complex supplements to choose from that contain all of these and more. All B-complex formulas contain vitamin C in varying amounts.
Vitamins C and D
Vitamin C is, by far, one of the most useful supplements out there. October is the month when the cold and flu season really kicks in, so stock up on plenty of it. Although most B-complexes will contain vitamin C, be sure to have basic vitamin C as well. You can get this in many kinds of forms including tasty and sweet chewable.
In the winter, there is far less sunlight. This equates to less vitamin D being absorbed through your skin when you are outside. This might seem unimportant until you consider the fact that anemia is caused by lack of vitamin D. Anemia is a condition in which there are not enough red blood cells in the blood for the body to function properly. This means weakness, fatigue, and even depressing feelings.
When you look for supplements containing vitamin D, look for D3 versions instead of D2 versions. Vitamin D3 is obtained from natural sources and vitamin D2 is synthetic. Although synthetic versions of vitamins and nutrients are still beneficial to some degree, they are more beneficial when obtained from natural sources. Vitamin D3 supplements have mood-enhancing properties as well.
Don’t Forget Your Algae
Some of the most nutrient-rich supplements are made from algae that are collected from both fresh and saltwater sources. The best of these kinds of supplements contain both chlorella and spirulina in them. These are both green algae that contain most of the nutrients that are needed the most during the winter months to fight fatigue, low moods and illnesses like the flu.
Depending on the mixture or brand you choose, chlorella supplements may come in powder, capsule, tablet, and liquid extract forms. Along with vitamin C and iron, there are loads of disease-fighting antioxidants in chlorella supplements. The health benefits are magnified by the proteins and omega 3s found in it.
Spirulina is a similar kind of algae that contains the vitamins B1, B2, and B3 as well as protein, copper, and iron. It’s the way spirulina can decrease the effects of anemia that make it stand out, especially as an alga. This can directly counteract the effects of reduced sunlight in the winter.
When these two kinds of algae are combined in one supplement, they are the most effective. As more research is conducted, there are bound to be more health issues that can be improved just from ingesting these two kinds of algae.
Remember to Eat
The importance of eating nutritious fruits and vegetables during the winter months can’t be overemphasized. While supplements containing valuable nutrients are very effective for improving health, it’s always better to receive your nutrients through food. Supplements are just a convenient way of increasing the nutritional value of the foods we already eat.