What vitamins to drink in the fall a woman to strengthen immunity

Candidate of Medical Sciences, doctor of integrative, preventive and conventional medicine, nutritionist

What microelements and vitamins do we lack in the fall? How can we make up for the deficiency?

What we call avitaminosis is often attributed to the spring period, when after a long winter and cold the body is exhausted, has not eaten fresh fruits and vegetables, is not saturated with sunshine. Fall, on the other hand, is the opposite time of year. Over the summer, we accumulate the most useful things, get solar vitamin D and are ready to face the cold in full force. Read about whether you can stock up on vitamins in the summer for the year ahead in this article.

However, fall is a test of our immune system for strength. The slightest shifts in the balance of nutrients can create a gap in the body’s defense. Everyone should know their weaknesses and make up deficiencies as needed. Deficiencies can be determined by laboratory testing.

Daftar Isi

Which vitamins and minerals in the fall are definitely worth replenishing

Vitamin C

Back in the 1970s, Nobel Prize-winning chemist Linus Pauling concluded, based on earlier placebo-controlled trials, that ascorbic acid could prevent and/or alleviate colds.

Deficiency symptoms:

General weakness,
rapid fatigue,
frequent colds,
bleeding gums and poor healing of wounds and cuts.

In general, during the summer we accumulate the necessary supply of vitamin C from fresh produce. In the fall, the harvest continues. This is where apples, citrus fruits, and bell peppers will help.

Vitamin D

Manifestations of hormone D deficiency are extremely subjective and varied.

Symptoms of deficiency

a general decrease in energy,
occasional sleep disturbances,
brittle teeth,
excessive sweating, especially at bedtime.

Despite the generally accepted range of 30-100 ng/mL, adequate values of hormone D are 60-80 ng/mL. Hormone D below 60 is capable of producing sleep disturbances, exactly the same as its excess above 80.

D3 is the only form of hormone D that is effective and safe for humans to use. Vitamindcouncil.org (a group of doctors who study hormone D) recommend a dosage of 5,000-10,000 IU per day. Toxic effects from D3 intake any body outside of any serious pathology can get from doses of 30,000+ IU/day for several months. Therefore, a physician’s recommendation is necessary before taking it.

Zinc

It can directly interact with the virus, namely not to inhibit viral RNA (ribonucleic acid) replication, in other words, the reproduction of the virus. In addition, the presence of zinc is important for the enzyme involved in gas exchange, as well as for the formation of the well-known to many hemoglobin – a substance that carries oxygen and carbon dioxide.

The norm of daily zinc intake for an adult is 15 mg. The physiological need for children is from 3 to 12 mg / day (depending on age). We do not recommend self-appointment of any preparations of trace elements.

When using zinc supplements, monitor copper and iron levels.

Copper (especially for women)

The daily allowance of copper is 3 mg. It is not difficult to supplement it, but it should be done gently and carefully – natural remedies are preferred.

What is useful trace element? Copper is involved in the hydroxylation and oxidation of L-tyrosine. It takes part in the synthesis of organic iodine compounds from inorganic ones. In general, if you dig deeper into endocrinology, copper is simply necessary for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. Usually deficiency is looked at by blood.

Speaking of foods. Strange as it may seem, peanuts break records in terms of content – 1144 mcg. The second record holder is wheat bran at 998 mcg. But most of our patients exclude these products from their diet due to hypersensitivity. Therefore, we recommend to pay attention to chickpeas (660 mcg), lentils (660 mcg) and buckwheat groats (649 mcg). Among greens and vegetables – basil (385 mcg), garlic (299 mcg), cilantro (225 mcg), radishes (150 mcg). There is a lot of copper in microgreens of all types.

Iron

A common consequence of iron deficiency is anemia, in which the number of red blood cells and the blood’s ability to carry oxygen drops. Weakness, hair loss, brittle nails, dry skin, and rapid fatigue are all common complaints that can indicate iron deficiency, among other things.

Selection of an iron supplement should be done by a physician after laboratory tests.

To assess iron levels, it is necessary to look not only at hemoglobin levels, but also at ferritin, which is a marker of iron saturation in the body, as well as serum iron levels.

You can make up for a small deficiency by balancing your daily diet. Foods contain heme and non-heme iron. The body can get heme iron from red meat, liver, seafood, it is characterized by the highest bioavailability, easier to digest. Non-heme iron enters the body from plant foods (leafy greens, buckwheat, nuts, seeds, pomegranate), but its assimilation requires the help of ascorbic acid. Iron is absorbed from food by 10-20%.