Boost Winter Health: Vital Vitamins to Beat Fatigue

Winter is the time of New Year's holidays, outdoor activities, and ... hypovitaminosis. The lack of different vitamins manifests itself in various ways, but in all its manifestations, there is little pleasant. Most often, a vitamin deficiency hints at itself as chronic fatigue. You seem to sleep 8-9 hours a day, but you still wake up broken, unhealthy, and exhausted. Lack of energy is one of the most common symptoms that signal a lack of vitamins.

Another clear sign of vitamin deficiency is frequent morbidity: colds, flu, and viral infections. By the way, viruses are the cause of about 75% of all infectious diseases in the winter. For the body to have the strength to resist viruses, do not forget to replenish vitamins D and C. If you do everything right, you will reduce the chance of being sick in half. This means: save money on treatment and hospitals.

Vitamins in tablets are a convenient and quick way to "improve your health", but they are absorbed by only a third. Therefore, we advise you to reconsider your diet and take everything you need from food: vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, cereals, fish, and meat.

Do you want to learn how to recognize the lack of vitamins and fill it without the help of doctors and medications? Get the Costless Cheat Sheet. We will tell you what products will restore your vitality and good mood, take care of the condition of your skin and hair, and, of course, increase your resistance to viruses.

Basic vitamins a person needs

A balanced diet filled with vitamins is a guarantee of:

1. impeccable appearance (gorgeous hair, healthy nails, a radiant complexion);
2. increased stress resistance;
3. stable activity regardless of the season.

Everyone should know the ABC of vitamins. This will help to recognize the deficiency in time and replenish it:

1. vitamin A or retinol: due to its deficiency, the condition of the skin, nails, and hair worsens; this vitamin is found in carrots, pumpkin, persimmons, tomatoes, herbs (parsley and dill);
2. B vitamins are responsible for stress resistance and sleeping well (you notice frequent irritability - it may be due to a deficiency of B vitamins); cheese, dairy products, fish, pork, liver and other offal, buckwheat, nuts will help to replenish them;
3. Vitamin C: its lack leads to immunity worsening and activity decreasing; citrus fruits, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and white cabbage, apples, kiwi, and rose hips will help to correct the situation;
4. Vitamin D: its level always decreases in winter and autumn due to lack of sunlight; a deficiency of this vitamin also affects immunity and leads to frequent illnesses; fatty fish (sardine, mackerel, silver carp), cow's milk, egg yolks, and orange juice will help to replenish it.
5. Vitamin E (aka tocopherol) is a powerful antioxidant; it improves blood circulation and brain function, and protects against nervous breakdowns. This vitamin is found in spinach, nuts, apples, lean meat, and olive oil.
6. Vitamin K is responsible for regulating blood clotting; its lack provokes bleeding of the gums, frequent nosebleeds, and the deposition of salts on the walls of arterial vessels; The best natural sources of this vitamin are spinach, green vegetables, cabbage and cauliflower, green peas, cereals, bananas, kiwi and avocado.

Let's take a closer look at each of these vitamins.

Vitamin A

Deterioration of vision, skin and hair problems, muscle cramps, and insomnia are known consequences of vitamin A deficiency.

Vit A is a collective term. It combines several substances at once that are similar in chemical structure: retinol, retinal, and other retinoids.

Vitamin A is responsible for:

1. visual acuity (it participates in the synthesis of eye pigment, which is needed to adapt vision to darkness and distinguish colors);
2. acceleration of tissue regeneration and rapid wound healing;
3. neutralization of the action of dangerous radicals (vitamin A has a pronounced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect);
4. Liver protection (prevents cell destruction);
5. slowing down the aging process;
6. normalization of hormonal levels;
7. the health of the skin, hair and nails (vitamin A stimulates the production of collagen, which makes the skin more elastic and prevents the appearance of wrinkles; that is why retinol is a mandatory component in many care products; but the effect of such cosmetics must be reinforced from the inside with a correct balanced diet);
8. normalization of the reproductive system in women.

Foods rich in vitamin A are:

1. beef liver;
2. most orange vegetables and fruits (carrots, pumpkins, tomatoes, apricots);
3. red caviar;
4. dill and parsley;
5. broccoli, zucchini, spinach;
6. buckwheat;
7. fish fat;
8. eggs;
9. butter;
10. milk.

The average daily requirement for vitamin A for women is 700 mcg, for men, 900 mcg. You will get approximately the same amount of vitamin by eating 100 grams of carrots, 150-200 grams of dill or parsley, 200 grams of red caviar, just a quarter of a tablespoon of liquid cod liver fat, or 10 (!!!) grams of cooked beef liver. Yes, it is the liver and fish oil that contain the most vitamin A.

This is because vitamin A is practically not excreted from the body and accumulates in the liver in large quantities. Of course, this does not mean at all that you cannot eat more than 10 grams of beef liver at a time. Just diversify your diet with other foods, and let beef liver be on your table 3-4 times a week.

Vitamin B

Vit B, B vitamins, group an important role in cellular metabolism. They are:

1. responsible for cell renewal;
2. improve immunity and increase resistance to viruses;
3. contribute to the normalization of the stomach and intestines;
4. regulate blood sugar levels and prevent the onset of diabetes;
5. normalize the functioning of nerve cells (this is why B vitamins are often prescribed for depression and neuroses);
6. help to improve the condition of the skin and hair.

B vitamins, unlike retinol, do not accumulate in the body, so their reserves need to be replenished regularly. If you do not do this, you can face such unpleasant consequences of deficiency as:

1. stress, insomnia, and irritability;
2. dry skin;
3. hair loss;
4. premature wrinkles.

Let us consider in more detail which B vitamins are responsible for what, and in which products they are contained:

1. B1 (thiamine) deficiency leads to memory impairment, muscle weakness, and loss of appetite; coarse bread products, oatmeal, buckwheat, and green peas will help to replenish it.
2. B2 (riboflavin) a deficiency of this vitamin provokes the appearance of cracks in the corners of the mouth, drying out of the mucous membranes, peeling of the skin, dermatitis; contains this vitamin in the liver, kidneys, eggs, cottage cheese, dairy products, meat, fish, buckwheat, legumes, white bread;
3. B3 (niacin) deficiency can lead to a disorder of the digestive function and disturbances in the functioning of the brain; to avoid this, introduce rye bread, buckwheat, beets, mushrooms, pineapples, and mango into your diet.
4. B5 (pantothenic acid), the deficit is felt by constant stress (even with minimal irritation) and a lack of energy; eggs, buckwheat, chicken meat, cauliflower, milk, avocado, hazelnuts, and offal will help replenish.
5. B6 (pyridoxine) is responsible for the health of the nervous system; deficiency can provoke depressive conditions; to avoid this, eat more pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, spinach, cauliflower and white cabbage, tomatoes, strawberries, legumes, and fish;
6. B7 (biotin) supports the functioning of the nervous system, improves the condition of the skin, nails, and hair; Found in high amounts in liver, kidney, legumes, cauliflower, and nuts
7. B9 (folic acid) This vitamin is responsible for immunity, and in pregnant women, also for the development of the fetus; leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, herbs, honey, wholemeal bread, liver, and yeast will help to avoid a deficiency of folic acid.
8. B12 (cobalamin) plays an important role in the normal functioning of the nervous system and the formation of blood cells; it is found in fish and other animal products (yolks, liver, dairy products).

The average daily intake of vitamins:

1. B1 - up to 1500 mcg (this amount is contained in about 300 grams of wheat, oats, or buckwheat / 300 grams of lean pork / 100 grams of seeds);
2. B2 - up to 1800 mcg (this is about 100 grams of liver or kidneys / 200 grams of feta cheese / 300 grams of almonds);
3. B3 - up to 20,000 mcg (up to 50 grams of dry white mushrooms / 100 grams of peanuts / 120 grams of seeds);
4. B5 - up to 5000 mcg (approximately 120 grams of egg yolks / 200 grams of wheat bran / 300 grams of avocado / 400-500 grams of chicken);
5. B6 - up to 2000 mcg (this amount of vitamin is in 120 grams of pistachios / 130 grams of seeds / 200 grams of salmon / 250 grams of hazelnuts);
6. B7 - up to 50 mcg (100 grams of soybeans);
7. B9 - up to 400 mcg (300 grams of parsley / 300 grams of canned cod liver / 500 grams of avocado);
8. B12 - only up to 3 mcg (this is about 200 grams of salmon or 80 grams of trout).

Vitamin C

Vit C:

1. strengthens the immune system;
2. accelerates the healing process;
3. promotes the timely removal of toxins;
4. regulates metabolism;
5. slows down the aging process.

The lack of this vitamin in the body can be easily noticed by frequent colds, fatigue, hair loss, dry and sagging skin.

To prevent this, introduce into your diet:

1. kiwi (only two kiwis will fill the required daily intake of vitamin C);
2. rose hips (only 10 grams of berries contain about the same amount of vitamin C as two kiwis);
3. bell pepper (50 grams per day will be enough);
4. black currants (about 50 grams per day).

These are champion products, which contain the most vitamin C. But apart from them, there is a lot of ascorbic acid in:

1. beef liver;
2. tomatoes;
3. parsley;
4. cauliflower and broccoli;
5. oranges;
6. spinach;
7. grapefruit;
8. lemons and pineapples.

Vitamin D

Vit D, the group of D vitamins, is responsible for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus minerals. They also protect the body from:

1. viral diseases;
2. diabetes;
3. skin diseases;
4. dental caries;
5. salt deposits.

These vitamins increase immunity, regulate blood pressure, and improve heart function.

Group D combines vitamins D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5. Vitamin D3 has special biological importance. It is synthesized from cholesterol on the surface of our skin when exposed to direct sunlight. But in winter, daylight hours are short enough, and the body does not have enough sun to produce the necessary substance on its own. Therefore, it should be replenished with products:

1. cod liver oil (10 grams of this product contains the daily intake of vitamins D2 and D3);
2. mackerel (80 grams of fish per day is enough);
3. pink salmon (about 100 grams of fish per day);
4. tuna (200 grams of fish - a sufficient amount of vitamin D3 per day).

Vitamin E

Vit E, or tocopherol, is called the vitamin of beauty and youth. It is a powerful natural antioxidant that protects cells from aging and destruction. It:

1. improves blood circulation and cell regeneration processes;
2. makes the skin more elastic and improves its color;
3. has anti-inflammatory properties;
4. refers to cardioprotectors (regulates the work of the heart).

The main signs of vitamin E deficiency are:

1. fatigue;
2. deterioration in mental and physical activity;
3. muscle weakness and pain;
4. deterioration of the skin condition (loss of elasticity, the appearance of wrinkles).

The daily intake of vitamin E is 15 mg (15,000 mcg). You can get it from:

1. 50 grams of almonds or hazelnuts;
2. 100 grams of wheat bran;
3. 100 grams of peanuts;
4. 200 grams of cashews;
5. 200 grams of sea buckthorn;
6. 400 grams of spinach.

Vitamin K

Vit K includes two groups of substances: K1 (phylloquinone) and K2 (menaquinone). We need these substances for:

1. proper absorption of calcium;
2. supporting the health of the heart and blood vessels;
3. regulation of blood coagulation;
4. support the nervous system and improve brain activity.

Vitamin K also has a pronounced antioxidant effect.

A clear sign of vitamin K deficiency:

1. hematomas that appear after the slightest bruises;
2. bleeding gums;
3. frequent nosebleeds.

To avoid such unpleasant consequences, eat more:

1. greens (lettuce, spinach, basil, cilantro);
2. pine nuts and cashews;
3. Chinese cabbage and cauliflower;
4. kiwi;
5. avocado.

What vitamins to take after COVID?

Everyone needs to replenish their vitamin supply, but special attention should be paid to this issue for those who have had COVID. Coronavirus infection (COVID-19) affects many vital organs and systems. These are the lungs, the brain, the cardiovascular system, and the nervous system.

Therefore, those who have been ill with COVID often have similar symptoms:

1. asthenia;
2. dizziness;
3. muscle weakness;
4. hair loss.

But there are also consequences of the disease, which are associated with the individual characteristics of the organism: diabetes, anemia, etc.

To get in shape faster after COVID, doctors offer several general recommendations:

1. diversify your diet with foods rich in vitamins B, C, and D;
2. observe the rest regime;
3. spend more time outdoors;
4. do not forget about being active (if a sport is still too hard, start with walking).

There is one more important note regarding vitamins. It has been noted that with a low level of vitamin D, the disease progresses more severely. Therefore, to prevent COVID and to alleviate the course of the disease, you can now revise your menu and add fatty fish, chicken eggs, and cheeses to it. It is these products that contain the most vitamin D.

But you should not forget about vitamin C either. It has a positive effect on immunity and will help to survive this winter with a minimum of viruses.

Where to buy vitamins cheaply?

Many people choose synthetic vitamins instead of a balanced diet. We would like to remind you that such vitamins are less absorbed. But there is another side to the coin - the risk of overdose. Hypervitaminosis is just as dangerous as a lack of vitamins. Therefore, focus not only on the symptoms but also on the numbers in the analyses. They will help you clearly understand what is missing and what is in excess.

Taking care of your health is about awareness and responsibility. Try to take the time to revise your daily menu. And we will show you where it is cheaper to buy different products. Service https://costless.online/ provides the most up-to-date information about discounts and promotions. Use it for your health!