Fit through autumn and winter: Part 8 - Vitamins and trace elements
Fruit and vegetables lose up to 50% of their vitamins per day. Even more vitamins are lost during cooking.
Fruit and vegetables are no longer as rich in vitamins as they used to be. According to the latest study, the content of vital substances has been falling rapidly since the 1970s: The loss of vitamin A in apples is 41 per cent. Peppers contain 31 per cent less vitamin C and broccoli only half the amount of iron.
You would have to eat ten times as much fruit and vegetables today as in the past to get the same amount of vitamins and minerals.
Food supplement
I therefore personally think it is justifiable and even sensible to use high-quality, natural food supplements to prevent or compensate for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Good doctors and alternative practitioners can also do a complete blood count and determine exactly which vitamins and minerals the body needs in particular.
Vitamins that are particularly important for the immune system.
THE LINKS FROM CORONA_CHECKLIST
- Vitamin A: activates killer cells. Order as capsules here, for example.
Or in the form of beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A.
Naturally contained in sweet potatoes, kale and Chorella algae, e.g. order here.
- Vitamin C: is an important antioxidant and protects cells from oxidative stress. It also increases the absorption of iron in the intestine. Order high doses as a powder or capsule, e.g. here.
Naturally found in acerola cherries, rose hips, sea buckthorn berries, peppers, cabbage (e.g. kohlrabi, kale, Brussels sprouts), citrus fruits (oranges, lemons), berries (redcurrants, gooseberries) and spinach.
- Vitamin D: Vitamin D is largely produced in the skin under the influence of sunlight. This is why vitamin D levels fall, especially in the darker months of the year. Vitamin D strengthens the immune system by, for example, supporting the phagocytes of the non-specific defence system and the T-lymphocytes of the specific defence system. It can apparently also reduce the extent of inflammatory processes. Combined with K2, it is better stored in the bones: - Order high doses as a powder or in capsules here.
Naturally contained in oily fish (e.g. cod, tuna, mackerel and salmon), liver. Oysters, butter, milk, eggs, sprouts and dandelions, porcini and shiitake mushrooms, oatmeal. Sweet potatoes.
- Vitamin B12: We need vitamin B12 for thought processes and nerves. It helps us to cope better with stress. The immune system needs vitamin B12 to form sufficient white blood cells. It is also very important for the regeneration of the oral mucosa.
Naturally contained in: Liver, mussels, salmon, beef, eggs, cheese. Many vegans take it as a dietary supplement.
- Vitamin E: It can scavenge cell-damaging free radicals that are produced during immune defence, among other things, but also during many other processes in the body.
Naturally contained in: Wheat germ oil or sunflower oil.
Trace elements
As the body only needs them in small quantities, i.e. in traces, they are referred to as trace elements. As these trace elements are essential, i.e. they are not produced by the body itself.
Zinc and selenium are essential trace elements and belong to the large group of minerals.
- Zinc and selenium: Protect the body's cells
Naturally contained in chicken (hence chicken soup for colds)
Extra tip: To prevent infection with the corona virus and thus avoid a possible severe course (or other diseases), I recommend having your doctor determine the vitamin D level in your blood and then raising it if necessary. To avoid misunderstandings: Vitamin D is not a drug that can cure corona diseases. However, you can have a positive effect on the course of the disease by enabling the organism to restore the balance between the pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory processes.
