As the seasons shift, so do our bodies' requirements. During the winter, with its colder temperatures and reduced sunlight, our bodies crave increased attention, care, and compassion. Dramatic environmental changes can significantly impact our nutrition, metabolism, sleep, and mental health.
To maintain optimal wellness and energy throughout the year, experts recommend incorporating quality sleep, regular exercise, a balanced diet, and targeted supplementation. During the winter weather, specific vitamins and minerals can provide additional support to help you stay motivated, cheerful, and full of energy.
Why Do We Need To Supplement Vitamins And Minerals In Winter?
When it comes to supplements, it's always a good idea to chat with your doctor first. They can check your bloodwork and recommend what you might need. But even if your blood tests look great, taking certain vitamins and minerals can give your body an extra boost.
Especially during shorter, colder days, we might not get enough sunlight, exercise, or healthy foods. That's where supplements can help fill in the gaps and keep you feeling your best.
Winter Wellness: Essential Nutrients
The best winter vitamins and minerals that will give your body the extra strength it needs these days when the weather is even colder, drier, and darker are listed below:
1. Zinc and Vitamin C
Our biggest enemy in winter is not the cold weather, but a weak immune system! Damage to our immune system makes us more vulnerable to colds, flu, or viral infections. Vitamins C and Zinc supplements, which we can choose to prevent this, constitute the 2 most effective compounds in immune support. These two components, which increase each other's bioabsorption when taken together, can be increased not only with supplements but also with a varied and rich diet.
Consuming zinc-supplying foods such as seafood, red meat, legumes, and nuts together with vitamin C-supplying foods such as peppers, citrus fruits, berries, and tomatoes helps support immunity as much as supplements.
In terms of dosage, a daily intake of 75-125 mg of vitamin C and 8-11 mg of zinc is sufficient. In addition, taking higher doses of these two components when you are sick or when you feel you are going to get sick strengthens your immunity and may help relieve symptoms.
2. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a superstar vitamin that helps keep us feeling happy, motivated, and energized. It's involved in everything from boosting our immune system to absorbing minerals and creating hormones. Unfortunately, our bodies make most of it when we soak up sunlight, so winter can be a tough time for our vitamin D levels.
Low vitamin D can leave you feeling tired, down in the dumps, and more prone to inflammation. Taking a vitamin D supplement can be a lifesaver to avoid these winter blues. Your doctor can recommend the right dose for you, but most people need around 600-800 IU per day.
Remember, vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, so it's best to take it with a meal that contains healthy fats like eggs, yogurt, avocado, or olive oil.
3. Probiotics
Wintertime can be a real challenge for healthy eating! With cozy days indoors, holiday treats, and the craving for comfort foods, it's easy to get off track. But a balanced gut is key to staying energized and feeling great all season long.
A healthy gut helps everything from your immune system to your mood. To keep your gut happy, try to eat a variety of nutritious foods and consider taking a probiotic supplement with Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. These beneficial bacteria can help restore balance and keep you feeling your best.
Read more: Ultimate Guide To Probiotics
4. Omega-3
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for our overall health. They help reduce inflammation, support heart health, and improve brain function. During the winter months, maintaining a healthy intake of Omega-3 can be beneficial for strengthening the immune system and supporting general well-being.
You can boost your Omega-3 levels by eating foods rich in these healthy fats, such as fatty fish, seafood, and seaweed. Additionally, taking an Omega-3 supplement can be a good option if you're not getting enough from your diet. While Omega-3 doesn't directly keep you warm, it plays a crucial role in supporting your body's health, including mental and cognitive function.
5. Magnesium
We all have a hard time getting out of bed in winter, don't we? One of the primary reasons for this is that we don't get enough quality sleep throughout the night. Magnesium, which supports holistic health from the cellular level, helps to calm the nervous system and soften the muscles so that we can fall asleep more easily and sleep more deeply. Magnesium glycinate, one of the many types of magnesium, provides the best support for sleep. Experts recommend supplementing magnesium throughout the year, which many people lack despite a balanced diet.
Read more: Magnesium | Benefits, Deficiencies, Sources, Daily Recommendations
Why Do At-Home Vitamin Tests Matter?
Wondering if you really need a supplement or if you're getting enough vitamins? Find out right at home with Vivoo! This at-home urine test, paired with our app, gives you insights into your body's wellness by checking 9 key parameters: vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, sodium, water, oxidative stress, urine pH, ketones, and protein. Just urinate on the strip, scan it with the app, and get results in 90 seconds—no lab shipping required!
Plus, receive personalized advice from dietitians to enhance your results. Vivoo makes it easy to stay in tune with your body!
6 comments
I really enjoyed the article on vitamins for winter! It’s great to see how important nutrients are for staying healthy during the colder months. Looking forward to trying some of the recommendations!
Great article! I never realized how important vitamins are during winter. I’ll definitely be looking into adding more Vitamin D and C to my diet. Thanks for the tips!
Nice article! Thanks for sharing.
I came across it on Google and read it, I was doing a lot of things wrong, thank you. 5 stars.
This content is super helpful! It really sheds light on which vitamins to focus on, especially with winter coming up.