Vitamins and supplements for winter immunity

During winter, viruses like the flu and the common cold spread more quickly. Cold temperatures also encourage more people to stay indoors—putting them in close contact with potentially sick individuals.

By Citro partner Vitable

Think of our immunity as an army of anti-viral agents. The colder months of the year can make our immune system work harder because these agents are occupied in keeping us free from infections. 

During winter, viruses like the flu and the common cold spread more quickly, and the infections they cause are more likely to reoccur. Cold temperatures also encourage more people to stay indoors—putting them in close contact with potentially sick individuals. 

Being concerned about winter immunity is all too common among many Australians. A simple yet effective way to address the issue is by making sure you get the nutrients you need to boost your immunity.

Supplement subscription and vitamin packs to support winter immunity

Getting the right food from a proper diet, rest, and exercise are the primary ways to boost our immune system, but modern lifestyles may not allow us to get enough of all three. 

Enter the benefits of exploring a supplement subscription that provides you with vitamin packs that are tailored to your unique health needs.

When taken alongside a healthy diet, supplements can help increase the intake of important nutrients needed during the wintertime. 

The following are mineral and vitamin supplements that you can consider to improve your immunity this winter and all-year round:

Zinc with copper

Zinc and copper are key minerals essential to our health. As the body does not produce them naturally, the only ways to get enough of them is by eating a zinc and copper-dense diet, or through appropriate supplementation.

Vitable Australia’s supplement subscription offers a zinc with copper combination, as zinc reduces the amount of copper your body absorbs. This makes it important to take enough copper as well when taking zinc supplements to avoid a copper deficiency (1).

Together, zinc and copper support immune system health. Studies have found that low levels of zinc may increase your risk of infections, such as the ones that become rampant during winter.

Iron

Iron, also an essential mineral, is best consumed through a healthy diet or supplementation. A supplement subscription may come in handy for those with dietary or lifestyle restrictions that do not allow them to eat meats, a rich source of iron.

Iron supports healthy immune system function by assisting in the production of white blood cells, whose main function is to combat diseases and infections.

Iron should only be taken if prescribed by your doctor. Read more on 5 reasons to check your iron levels.

Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid that gives many foods their reddish pigment (such as in prawns, crab, and meats). It supports immune system function and allows the body to perform some of its most crucial functions.

Ashwagandha

This wonder herb is frequently taken as tea. Its therapeutic benefits include maintaining immune system health. Mild in flavour but incredibly beneficial to our health, ashwagandha tea or in this case supplements, make a great addition to your diet or vitamin packs.

Probiotics SB

We associate probiotics with gut health most frequently, but Vitable Australia’s Probiotics SB supplement does much more for our health. This is because certain probiotic strains aid in modulating the immune system.

Vitamin B complex

Including vitamin B complex into your routine can help maintain the levels of nutrients in the body, thus ensuring you have sufficient amounts needed. This can directly impact the body’s auto-immune response. Vitamin B complex helps maintain and support healthy immune system function. Read more on immune health and how the b-team help with ageing.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a stronghold of immune system protection in the wintertime. An essential vitamin for good health all year round, vitamin C plays a role in the production and function of white blood cells, an integral part of the immune system. It is also known to provide your body with adequate support for healthy immune system function.

Vitamin D

The best way to get our daily dose of vitamin D is through healthy sun exposure. However, the winter time limits this and therefore, possibly making us prone to a vitamin D deficiency that could compromise our immune system’s ability to respond properly. This is due to the vitamin’s role in healthy immune system responses.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is crucial in maintaining healthy immune system function. It helps facilitate the production of immune cells. Otherwise known as cobalamin, vitamin B12 is found in many animal products including meats and organs, but can be taken as a part of a supplement subscription.

Fish oil

A study on infants showed that fish oil can help modulate immune function and responses, which reveals how this supplement supports healthy immune system function.

Biotin

Though lauded as a beauty supplement, biotin has become a popular addition to a comprehensive supplement subscription for its ability to support and maintain healthy immune system function. Biotin plays a role in the function of immune cells. A deficiency of this vitamin may also enhance inflammation.

A good supplement subscription coupled with proper rest, exercise, and diet can really go a long way to help our immune system last through the winter months. Luckily, Vitable vitamins can help without us ever having to leave our homes through its vitamin delivery services. Our vitamin subscription of the best vitamin packs and personalised supplements means that we can boost and protect our bodies while staying warm in the comfort of our own homes.

_{Always read the label. Follow the directions for use. If symptoms persist, talk to your health professional. Vitamin and/or mineral supplements should not replace a balanced diet. The information on this page is general information and should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. Do not use the information found on this page as a substitute for professional health care advice. The Vitable quiz is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Terms & Conditions apply. When using this discount you will be signed up to a monthly flexible subscription. Edit or cancel at any time in your online account. Offer available for first-time customers only. T&Cs apply. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with another offer.  By using the discount, you will enter a flexible subscription: edit or cancel at any time."}

References and sources:

_{Zinc (n..d), Accessed October 11, 2021 from https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/zinc}

_{Herbs and Natural Supplements (2015), Accessed October 9, 2021 from https://www.elsevier.com/books/herbs-and-natural-supplements-2-volume-set/braun/978-0-7295-5384-1}

_{Astaxanthin, a Carotenoid, Stimulates Immune Response by Enhancing IFN-y and IL-2 Secretion in Primary Cultured Lymphocytes in Vitro and ex Vivo (2016), Accessed October 9, 2021 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4730289/}

_{Clinical Research Supports Effectiveness of Ashwagandha to Boost Body’s Immunity (2008), Accessed October 9, 2021 from https://nunm.edu/2008/08/clinical-research-supports-effectiveness-of-ashwagandha-to-boost-bodys-immunity/}

_{Understanding Nutrition: Australian and New Zealand Edition (2017), Accessed October 9, 2021 from https://books.google.com.ph/books/about/Understanding_Nutrition_Australian_and_N.html?id=43lGDwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y}

_{Vitamin C (n.d.) Accessed October 9, 2021 from https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-C}

_{Vitamin D (n.d.), Accessed October 9, 2021 from https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-D}

_{Fish Oil Supplementation Modulates Immune Function in Healthy Infants (2007), Accessed October 9, 2021 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17374672/}

_{https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-Consumer/}

_{Probiotics (n.d.) Accessed October 16, 2021 from https://research.vitable.com.au/probiotics}

_{Vitamin C Plus (n.d.) Accessed October 16, 2021 from https://research.vitable.com.au/vitamin-c-plus}

_{Vitamin D and the Immune System (August 2011) Accessed October 16, 201 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/}

_{Vitamin B12, Folic Acid, and the Immune System (July 2019) Accessed October 16, 2021 from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-16073-9_6}

_{Biotic (n.d.) Accessed October 16, 2021 from https://research.vitable.com.au/biotin}