Lifestyle
Vitamins, minerals and trace elements for immunity
They're essential to our health, yet with today's lifestyles, we can quickly run out of them... discover the key active ingredients that are good for you, thanks to Aurélie Canzoneri, naturopath and reflexologist.
Antioxidants
Our bodies are constantly fighting against the effects of free radicals (pollution, stress, smoking...) which cause oxidation within the human body. We all know the effects on our skin (dull complexion, sensitivity, pimples...), but inside too, free radicals are damaging our bodies. The key to limiting their impact? Antioxidants!
Taking antioxidants is essential for prevention (to maintain good anti-free radical health) and as we age.
They must be provided by a healthy, balanced diet, including fresh fruit and vegetables: blueberries, blackcurrants, tomatoes, pumpkins, raw cabbage, seawater, ginger, garlic, onions, broccoli, watercress, celery, sesame, almonds, oysters, sprouted seeds, etc.
In some cases, you'll need to supplement your diet with phycocyanin, picnogenol, polyphenols, carotenoids, lycopene, vitamins A, C and E, B, selenium, zinc, copper, coenzyme Q10, wheatgrass or barley juice, glutathione and alpha lipoic acid.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is essential for our immune system!
His roles:
- Immune system support
- Anti-free radical protector
- Helps hormonal and neuro-mediator secretions
- Activates healing (important for good collagen levels)
- Maintains joints, cartilage and blood vessels
- Facilitates iron absorption, blood transport and storage... Occasionally, if you have difficulty assimilating iron, you can combine vitamin C and iron.
Foods naturally rich in vitamin C? Guava, red and green peppers, papaya, kiwi, orange, mango, broccoli, parsley, wheatgrass juice, lemon, grapefruit, acerola, camu-camu, ...
You need vitamin C even more when... Physical activity, post-operative periods (because vitamin C is essential for healing), stress, extreme fatigue.
I recommend a sustained-release vitamin C, as it will act all day long, otherwise you'll need to think about increasing your intake. Alternatively, a liposomal vitamin C(a vitamin C enclosed in a sort of small lipid sac), which passes through the cell barrier more easily and deposits the vit C at the heart of the cell.
Vitamin E
Essentially plant-based, I recommend taking 1 CAS of wheat germ oil a day.
His roles:
- Neutralize excess free radicals, thus combating oxidative stress and premature cell ageing
- Preventing menopause
- Arterial inflammation
- Preventing cardiovascular problems
- Protection against neurodegenerative diseases
- Excellent for skin elasticity and plasticity and against skin aging
Vitamin D
This vitamin is essential for a healthy immune system. The body can synthesize vitamin D3 through skin contact with UV rays, so it's essential to supplement your diet in winter...
When should it be taken?
- For people with autoimmune diseases
- For people suffering from osteoporosis (vitamin D binds calcium), osteoarticular problems, etc.
- For mood
- For the immune system
- In case of fracture
It's better to take a drop of vitamin D every day than an ampoule every 3 months ;-)
Magnesium
Magnesium is essential:
- For nervous exchanges (considered a natural "anti-stress")
- For healthy skin (nails, hair, etc.)
- It is involved in lipid (fat) metabolism, protein synthesis and glucose (sugar) breakdown to release energy.
- For the prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis
- Effective against fatigue, cramps, spasmophilia, anxiety, dizziness and headaches.
I recommend magnesium in the form of bisglycinate or glycerophosphate, which are better assimilated by the body, unlike marine magnesium.
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