Cold and flu season is upon us, and this has many people reaching for any immune boost they can get, whether that means guzzling orange juice, or stocking up on multivitamins and Echinacea supplements. But what really helps, and what can actually be causing more harm than good to your body?
Vitamins
Firstly, it is important to remember that there are two main types of vitamin: water-soluble and fat-soluble. Water-soluble vitamins (Vitamins C and the B vitamins) are not stored in the body and are excreted when you pee; fat-soluble vitamins (Vitamins A, D, E, and K) are stored in your fat, which then gives a greater potential for toxicity as the vitamins build up in the body. Secondly, vitamin dosage differs according to the supplement that you take: how they are introduced into your body affects how it is metabolized, and mixing different vitamins can alter and even cancel their effects. So, before you reach for that bottle of extra-strength multivitamins, realize that you probably don’t even need them.
Every vitamin does have its benefits and risks. As a general rule, unless your doctor prescribes a vitamin to you to help with a deficiency, the only vitamin that you should take therapeutically is vitamin C because the chances of overdose are very slim.
Vitamin C works to give a boost to your white blood cells, and it is a powerful antioxidant. What you might not have known is that this vitamin also helps in the formation of collagen, which is key in the formation of your bones, cartilage, muscle, and blood vessels; vitamin C also maintains your capillaries, bones, teeth, and aids in the absorption of iron. The most significant reserve of vitamin C is in your adrenal glands, which is why you might find that you’re more likely to get the sniffles when you’re stressing over exams or when you’re starting up a strenuous exercise routine.
If you don’t want to take supplements, you can grab your vitamin C from citrus fruits, kiwis, strawberries, spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes.
Echinacea
Echinacea is probably the most popular herbal supplement to protect against and shorten the duration of colds, and it has been shown to do exactly that. There are a few different forms of Echinacea, from capsules, chewable tablets, and drops, but there really isn’t a huge difference between any of them, and your choice is more a matter of personal preference. I’ve heard somewhere before that taking Echinacea regularly can cause infertility, but I have not found anything in my research to suggest that this is true. Most papers do suggest, though, that you shouldn’t take Echinacea for more than three weeks at a time, and that it is most effective if you start taking it as soon as you feel that you’re about to get a cold. The biggest risk can be an allergic reaction, and taking too much can cause abdominal pains, nausea, and other general feelings of ugh.
Water and Sleep
Above all, I’ve always personally sworn by water and sleep as a remedy for any minor ailment. The reasons are simple: your body needs sleep to relax and recover, and losing sleep or sleeping irregularly can throw a major wrench into your immune works. It is super important then to try to get at least eight hours of sleep and to follow a relatively regular schedule. As soon as you start flip-flopping between early nights and all-nighters, even if you’re getting the same number of hours of sleep, your body begins to get run down and you’ll be less able to fight off illness.
Water is another obvious choice in terms of staying healthy. We know of course that our bodies are made up largely of water, especially in terms of our blood and lymph systems – the systems most responsible for our immune functions. Water helps us to flush out toxins and other wastes, and so can help us wash out those nasty bugs in our systems (many viral and bacterial infections that hang out in the mouth and throat take a few hours to a few days before you start feeling symptoms, so keeping hydrated and drinking hot beverages such as tea will help to wipe them out before they proliferate). Also, water is required for the formation of the hormones serotonin and melatonin, which work to keep you happy and help you to sleep well.
So relax, rest up, and hydrate to defend yourself against whatever nasty germs this season has to throw at you – especially if, like me, you’re stuck inside public transit and small classrooms, elbow-to-elbow with hacking, gacking, sneezing, coughing, nose-dripping sick-bags. Hurray! The joys of being a university student.
(Don’t just take my word for it – I’ve got references!)
Douglas RM, Hemila H. "Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold." 2005. PLoS Med. 2(6): e168.
Hemila H. "Vitamin C and common cold incidence: a review of studies with of subjects under heavy physical stress." 1996. Int. J. Sports Med., 17(5): 379 - 383.
Linde K, Barrett B, Wolkart K, Bauer R, and Melchart D. "Echinacea for preventing and treating the common cold." 2006. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 1: CD000530.
"Nutrient information: Vitamin C". United States Department of Agriculture - Centre for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Accessed 02 January 2010. <http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov/Nutrient_Desc.asp?Nutrient=VitaminC>
No comments:
Post a Comment