Winter is coming and you will feel crap again just like in the past winters. We all know that feeling of losing yourself on the couch under a pile of blankets while your nose is running and your throat itches, or maybe even has a sore spot in the back of your mouth where you taste blood every time you swallow.
Well guess what? There’s some good news for those who don’t want to spend another season getting sick over and over again: there are ways to keep that from happening! Sure, there may not be any sort of magical cure that will prevent illness 100% of the time, but sometimes all you have to do is take care of yourself just a little bit better than usual. All these supplements, whether they’re a vitamin or a special superfood, have been proven to boost your immune system and make you feel better faster.
And hey, some of them might even taste good! Snag your favorite from our top 9 list below, and read on for more details on how each supplement works to make you healthier as the new year approaches.
1. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is really an amazing little vitamin that does about a million things in the human body – most importantly, it helps you maintain healthy levels of calcium in your blood. Surprisingly, this means that it can actually reduce stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol levels in the body! It also has natural anti-inflammatory properties so it’s always a good idea to get your vitamin D from natural sources, which is easier in the summer when you have more time to go outside. But if winter weather keeps you chained indoors, it’s important to get enough of this supplement so that your immunity stays strong and sickness doesn’t knock you down for a long time.
2. Zinc
Zinc has been clinically proven to shorten illness duration by 25%! Maybe it just makes sense: after all, zinc is an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties which means that it reduces pain and swelling while also keeping free radicals (unwanted particles in the body) at bay. These effects make zinc great for fighting off colds and other illnesses like acne that can pop up during or after a bout of sickness. Zinc is also sometimes added to cough drops because it works as an expectorant to loosen phlegm and help you breathe more easily when you’re sick.
3. Vitamin C
Vitamin C has been shown to reduce cold symptoms by as much as 40%! But there’s a catch: your body can’t absorb vitamin C from supplements and food unless your stomach pH is slightly acidic, so it’s important to take this supplement with some sort of food or drink that has some natural acidity (lemon juice mixed into water, for example). If you don’t want to go out of your way to eat foods high in vitamin C or take multiple vitamins every day, try taking digestive enzymes instead. They’re not only great for people who are constantly on the go or who have trouble swallowing pills, but they also keep your stomach slightly acidic without requiring that you actually eat something!
4. Elderberry
Elderberry is a traditional cold remedy in many places around the world, especially in Europe where it’s been popular for centuries. But why? Well, elderberries are jam-packed with vitamin C and anthocyanin antioxidants which both help boost immunity and fight off infection better than most supplements out there today. It’s even rumored to lower cholesterol levels when taken regularly, which means that it can help prevent heart disease just like red wine does…but unlike that drink, this natural supplement can also help you avoid a nasty illness like the flu! Be careful not to buy elderberry syrup or any other kind of juice that’s packed with sugar because this fruit is naturally quite sweet, and it would be a shame to lose out on all the amazing health benefits.
5. Echinacea
What makes echinacea such an effective natural cold remedy? Well, for one thing, it has a ton of vitamin C. But beyond that, there are three more reasons why this plant-based supplement is so great at warding off infection:
(1) it stimulates macrophages to slow bacterial growth in your throat and nose,
(2) it speeds up production of white cells, which fight off viruses and other harmful bacteria, and
(3) it contains active compounds that act as natural antibiotics.
6. Garlic
Garlic has so many health benefits that there’s literally no way to list them all here! For cold sufferers, though, the most important thing garlic does is speed up blood circulation, which makes sure your immune system gets what it needs to fight off illness faster than if you didn’t take this supplement at all. But garlic isn’t just good for fighting infection; it also lowers blood pressure, reduces cholesterol levels, and even fights cancer! If you can stand the taste or find a way to mask it, this stuff might change your life by making you healthier every single day.
7. Tulsi
Otherwise known as Holy Basil, Tulsi is considered to be a sacred plant in India because of the many health benefits it provides. This adaptogenic herb is especially great for fighting off colds and flu since it has high levels of antioxidants that can help protect you from illness-causing free radicals while also speeding up your metabolism, which helps your body fight infection more quickly. What really makes tulsi stand out, though, is its ability to reduce cortisol levels which reduces stress (a major cause of sickness thanks to how it impairs immunity) but also combats fatigue so you don’t feel like sleeping all day when you’re sick.
8. Elderflower
Elderflower is similar to elderberry in that it’s a great source of vitamin C and anthocyanin antioxidants. However, this slightly less popular supplement also has another important compound called sambucus which helps fight against viral infections, making elderflower one of the best natural cold remedies out there today! The great thing about elderflower is that it doesn’t have to be taken as a supplement; you can brew up an “elixir” with hot water and honey (or blackstrap molasses) and drink it once or twice daily until your symptoms subside.
9. Green Tea
The most impressive thing about green tea supplements is their high concentrations of epigallocatechin gallate EGCG), antioxidant that fights against respiratory viruses and other airborne sicknesses while also protecting against cancer and heart disease. Best of all, this powerful supplement can also protect your brain cells from damage, which may help to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease in the future if taken every day as part of a healthy diet…which means that green tea is great not just for cold season, but for overall wellness!
Conclusion
In conclusion, these are the top 9 best supplements to take during winter. They all have their own unique way of preventing colds and flu, but they all help your body fight off infectious bacteria or viruses that can cause a fever, sore throat, coughing, sneezing, headache, muscle pain, fatigue, and more! So be sure to wash your hands often with soap and water (or use hand sanitizer if you don’t have access to a sink) and get yourself some elderberry syrup or another supplement on this list as soon as possible! Also, remember not to stress out too much about getting sick because stress is linked to decreased immunity function…which prevents your body from fighting infection like it’s supposed to. So just breathe, say a calming mantra to yourself if you have one, sit down and meditate for twenty minutes, do some yoga, or just take a nap! Whatever it takes to calm yourself down. You’ll feel better in no time.
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