With the winter almost upon us, it’s time to make sure your body has everything it needs to stay healthy. There are many ways you can do this, from eating a well balanced diet, juicing, and having smoothies. Each of these work to an extent, but if your busy, like myself you may find yourself missing out some days or just forgetting to go shopping for more fruit and vegetables.
The body is a complicated organism, and for it to perform as intended needs a consistent supply of important vitamins and minerals, a deficiency can cause all sorts of issues including a weakened immune system, lack of energy or brittle bones and bad skin. We owe it to our body, to give it everything it needs to perform at it’s best.
I have been taking supplements daily for years, the combination has sometimes changed depending on my diet and the time of year, but there are a few core supplements I consistantly take.
Vitamin D
I’m going to start with the vitamin which I think is the most important, especially at this time of year, and that’s Vitamin D. With the number of colds, flu and the Corona Virus going around at the moment we need to keep our immune system strong at all times, and vitamin D is great for this. It is true that going outside in the sun is a great way to get vitamin D, depending where you live, it may be a challenge. For example I live in Scotland and there isn’t much sun at this time of year, combine that with the tempature and most of my skin is covered, this means I would need to stand out in the sun for quite a while to get enough vitamin D to stay healthy. Supplementing it is definitely a good option!
A deficiency of vitamin D can lead to all sorts of issues, from bone pain in adults which is from Osteomalacia, to bone deformation in children which is from Rickets.
Vitamin D can come from a number of food sources, including oily fish, egg yolks and red meats.
There are multiple brands selling vitamin D, some of better quality than others. What you have to consider is the dosage you will take. The NHS website recommends we take no more than 100 micrograms, 4000 IU daily for an adult. I personally take 1000IU daily and double that to 2000IU over the winter. This is something worth discussing with a professional.
Vitamin K
When we consider what runs through our body consistently all day, it can be easy to neglect our blood, but it is in fact a very important part of our body and we have to maintain it. Vitamin K helps the body with post-synthesis modification, yes a very long and technical word I agree! But believe me when I say it is a very important element of the body’s functioning.
Vitamin K can come from multiple food sources, including green leafy vegetable, such as spinach, kale and green leaf lettuce. Vegetables such as Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and cabbage. And meats including liver, fish and eggs.
Vitamin K helps wound healing and bone health along with the process of blood clotting, with it containing 13 of the required proteins.
I personally take 1 capsule each day.
The NHS website recommends we consume 1 microgram per kg of body fat. That means a person who weights 100kg would require 100 micrograms daily.
Magnesium
When it comes to a supplement which plays multiple roles in the body, Magnesium is definately up there. It’s involved in the health of your body and brain. It is also involved in hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body. 60% of the magnesium found in the body is stored in the bones, with the rest being in muscle, soft tissue and blood.
Magnesium is involved in energy production, protein formation, gene maintenance and nervous system regulation.
Another great thing about magnesium is it’s shown to fight depression, which over the winter months can be very helpful. This was tested in a study where it was shown 450mg daily improved the mood in adults.
I personally take 1000 of magnesium before bed, as it helps me relax and get a better nights sleep.
Vitamin E
This is another excellent vitamin which I take daily. It’s an antioxidant which helps protect the cells from damage.
It’s been shown to support good health of the eyes and skin while helping boost the body’s immune system.
There are many natural sources of vitamin E, including nuts and seeds, wheat germ and plant oils.
The NHS recommends taking 4mg daily for men, and 3mg daily for women.
There are many more supplements which could be added to this list, for these I take a daily multivitamin. This means the dosage is smaller of these other vitamins compared with those listed above.
Let us know in the comments which supplements you take daily!
