This was originally published in February 2021 and the topic remains relevant as we enter another winter season with the virus still swirling around in our communities and travel increasing back to 65% of pre-pandemic levels in recent reports. Our lives have changed and it’s more important than ever to pay attention to immunity.
Throughout the year, our habits and routines have shifted drastically and we are likely settling into our own new normals. As we consider what no longer serves us in our lives, we ought to also consider what we are doing to improve our level of health and wellness. Vitamins C and D have been very popular topics of conversation this year and have been shown to support our immune system when exposed to the novel coronavirus. But what about a daily multi-vitamin? The answer is yes, you should be taking one and I’m here to tell you more about it.
Daily vitamins are a concentration of micro-nutrients. We tend to hear a lot about the macro-nutrients: fat, protein, and carbohydrates; but what about the essential vitamins and minerals? Our bodies are continually using these nutrients to function and need to be restored. There was a time when we could get much nutrition from the locally available food, but over-farming has depleted minerals in the soil and for the past 150 years, fruits and vegetables have been modified and bred to increase the size and sugar content so as to increase profit to sellers at the expense of the nutritional content.
It is well known that stress depletes important resources in the body including iron, magnesium, and vitamin C. When under excess stress, we often feel drained because we are using up more nutritional reserves than usual and not replacing them. The body is a complex machine like a car and runs most efficiently with a full tank of fuel and and the oil and fluids topped up and replaced as needed. When reserves are running low, it will continue to run, but much less optimally and with more effort.
Micro-nutrients are especially important for mental health. Studies have shown that in communities that have experienced a traumatic event such as a destructive earthquake or flood, those who supplemented with daily vitamins – or micronutrients – suffered less depression, anxiety, and other mental, behavioral and and emotional related challenges. It is fair to say that we have all experienced stress and traumatic events in the last year and the continued uncertainty remains stressful,
Keep it simple. Find a good bio-available multi-vitamin and commit to taking it every day. Consider adding in an omega-3 or fish oil supplement as well. The local health foods shop is a great place to start. I always suggest getting to know the resources in your own community as they tend to be a wealth of information. Bio-available simply means that the vitamins are coming from real sources and are not synthetically made. We will ALWAYS get better results from being fueled from natural sources that processed sources. Synthetic vitamins are kind of like using the wrong octane fuel in your car.
Finally, it takes some time for the benefits of taking a daily vitamin to integrate into your system, and some of the changes may be very subtle. Try adding it to your daily routine and stick with it for a while assessing the results.
