2023-10-20 15:05:30
Vitamin supplements are intended to improve health. The costs: up to several hundred euros. Who are vitamin boosters suitable for? And can we really prevent colds or relieve symptoms through nutritional supplements?
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Die Cold and flu season has begun: Every year, when the temperatures fall, the number of sick days increases. To prevent this, many people want to take effervescent tablets, injections and other preparations.
Vitamin C only helps if taken regularly
A popular preparation for strengthening the immune system is vitamin C. But its effectiveness has been controversial in research for decades. An evaluation of the Cochrane Collaboration Of 29 studies came to the sobering conclusion that regular supplementation with vitamin C has no significant effect in preventing colds.
However, people who take 200 mg of vitamin C daily can shorten the length of a cold. If you only start taking it after the cold symptoms have started, you will have no influence on the duration or severity of the symptoms.
Particularly rich in vitamin C: the acerola fruit.
Joa Souza
The body can absorb natural vitamin C better
Many people already get enough vitamin C from their diet. The body can even utilize natural vitamin C from food better than from supplements. If you pay attention to a regional and seasonal diet, you usually don’t have to resort to supplementation.
In addition, vitamin C preparations are often dosed too high. The recommended daily dose for adults is an average of 100 milligrams. However, an excess is not dangerous and is simply excreted by the body.
Foods with particularly high Vitamin C content per 100 grams are:
Acerola (1700 mg)rose hip (1250 mg)Sanddorn (450 mg)Petersilie (159 mg)Paprika (red: 140 mg; yellow: 130 mg; green: 117 mg) Brussels sprouts (112 mg)
DGE: Germany is not a “vitamin deficiency country”
Vitamin D is also becoming increasingly popular as a winter supplement. However, nutritional supplements should definitely be discussed by a doctor. Overall, according to the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) Vitamin deficiency diseases are extremely rare in Germany.
Unlike vitamin C, in addition to a lack of vitamin D, an overdose is also harmful to health. Excessive intake increases calcium levels, which in the long term can lead to kidney stones, gastrointestinal problems and vascular diseases.
One Study on vitamin D supplements also showed that dietary supplements, such as vitamin C, do not have a major effect on the risk of colds. In the study, half of the participants received a vitamin D supplement and the other half received a dummy supplement. In the second group there were only around 20 more illnesses. The severity of the disease was also not significantly influenced.
Not all dietary supplements are useful. An overdose can sometimes even lead to health problems.
Westend61
Vitamin D deficiency must be diagnosed by a doctor
However, a vitamin D deficiency can certainly occur in Germany and can be detected using a blood test. The nickname “sun vitamin” suggests that sufficient sunlight is necessary to form the vitamin. And that’s true: Our body produces vitamin D primarily from UVB rays – and only small amounts of it reach us in winter.
In addition, vitamin D intake through food is not as easy to cover as with vitamin C. Vitamin D is found in eggs as well as in some offal and fish with a high fat content. Mushroom lovers can also take advantage of this in the fall: The amount of vitamin D varies depending on the variety and is said to be increased even more if you place mushrooms in the sun – so it’s best to get some right away.
This much sun covers the daily requirement
People with medium-light skin have to spend about three quarters of an hour in the blazing midday sun in February in order to cover at least part of their daily vitamin D requirement. This was shown by a study from Switzerland for people at an altitude of 500 meters whose faces, arms and hands were uncovered.
Depending on your age, two and a half hours may be necessary – because the older you are, the worse your vitamin D production is. A good supply of vitamin D is particularly important in old age. Sufficient sunshine vitamins can counteract loss of strength and bone fractures.
Vitamin injection or pill?
In addition to capsules, effervescent tablets and drops, the “all-round worry-free” vitamin package is also available via syringe. However, the expensive syringes don’t make sense. This means that active ingredients enter the blood more quickly, but the injection always carries a risk of infection.
Strong immune system through the cold season
In addition to a balanced, vitamin-rich diet, the body can be supported in other ways during the cold season. It is important to drink enough water. In winter, the mucous membranes in the respiratory tract need an extra dose of hydration in order to be better protected against cold viruses. Also a high one Humidity in the apartment can help.
In addition, regular exercise, whether a workout or a brisk walk in the fresh air, is important to strengthen the immune system. And not just since Corona, a golden rule has been: In addition to washing your hands regularly, make sure to touch your face with your hands as little as possible in order to avoid infection.
Sport, walking, cycling – in autumn and winter, exercise in the fresh air helps to strengthen the immune system.
Arnulf Hettrich
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