Last year when Covid-19 had made itself known and the nation was locked down at Level 4, most of us would have been unsure of what to expect.
One unexpected surprise was that the normal cold and flu season didn’t really eventuate. Shutting the borders meant that viruses that normally flow in and out with travellers, were kept at bay. I have heard recently that colds are appearing on the scene and it’s likely that with our borders opening to Australia, viruses that we associate with winter will appear again.
There is very little said in the media about what we might do to ‘winterise’ ourselves and make our bodies less hospitable to the ills and chills associated with the cooler months. For me, it’s all about supporting our immune system, the guardian angel that has looked after us since man first walked on the earth. We often hear mention of the Spanish Flu in 1918 and what is interesting for me is that at this time, industrial cities were highly polluted with coal burning factories and respiratory illnesses were always serious.
It’s very likely that those who died had almost undetectable levels of vitamin D. Vitamin C hadn’t been discovered and I can’t imagine that anyone was aware of the importance of zinc in the diet.
Today we do know about the importance of vitamin D, and there would be few people who are unaware of the vitamin C story. Pharmacies test for zinc deficiency so it’s really easy to learn more about the role of this mineral superhero.
The problem as I see it, is that even with this awareness, many people only react when the going gets tough and then they are all ears. With anything to do with our health and wellbeing, prevention should always be the focus. We will never develop an impenetrable barrier to infections, but our nutrient status can often determine whether we are down and out for days or have to deal with only mild symptoms.
With vitamin C, our need can never be satisfied. It’s a water-soluble vitamin that we, unlike most animals, do not make in our bodies. Animals that do make vitamin C do so in response to stress and as the researchers tell us, when we are stressed, our immune system is less able to fight off infections unless we are supplementing with optimal amounts. The recommended daily allowance for vitamin C is 90 mgs. A cat and a dog can make 3,500 mgs daily, so my question is, why do we need so little?
I take up to 4,000 mgs daily. We need vitamin C to help retain a robust immune system, to help us heal from injury and to support the integrity of our cardiovascular system.
Vitamin D, the sunshine ‘vitamin’ should be on everyone’s radar. Unlike vitamin C, which is not stored in the body, vitamin D is, but during the summer months when we could be building up our reserves, we slap on the sunblock and cover up. During our winter months there is very little UV light coming through our atmosphere and the warmth we feel is simply infrared light.
Prof Cedric Garland from University of San Diego is a renowned authority on vitamin D. His research shows that to reach an optimal blood level (120 nmols/L) 4,000 IU daily or more may be necessary. We should all know what our vitamin D level is. A simple blood test is the way to find out.
How many New Zealanders take zinc every day? Not many I imagine. Zinc is very cheap so there are no reasons why we should be overlooking it. The United States Dept of Agriculture reports that more than 70% of American’s don’t get the recommended dietary allowance for zinc.
Every day we do one of two things: build health or produce disease. German Philosopher Arthur Schopenha. (John Appleton)
W: www.johnappleton.co.nz E john@johnppleton.co.nz T: 09 489 9362.
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