December 1, 2021, by Dewy Brandjes

Want to boost your resistance? First aid for supplements with Holland & Barrett

December 1, 2021, by Dewy Brandjes

Want to boost your resistance? First aid for supplements with Holland & Barrett

With the start of autumn, flu, colds and runny noses are lurking again. The time to improve your resistance again boost by eating a healthy and varied diet (hello pumpkin soup), getting enough sleep and exercise and (there it is again) washing your hands often enough. It can also sometimes help to use certain nutritional supplements as a supplement. Which one is best to take? We really don't know and it makes us dizzy when we stand in front of the shelves with dozens of supplement jars. Fortunately, the experts know about it Holland & Barrett everything about it and we were allowed to ask them all about it.

Resistance, defense, immune system?

Resistance, defense, immune system?

Your resistance boosterIt sounds logical, but what exactly is resistance and how do you give it such a resistance? boost? We asked the experts from Holland & Barrett and were overloaded with tips and tricks which we actually wish we had known earlier. Starting with a – hold on – short lesson (don't drop out!) about resistance.

Resistance, defense, immune system... It all means the same thing and is nothing more than your body's defense against external pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria. Good resistance is important because it ensures that your body is better able to tackle these pathogens. Sufficient relaxation and sleep, enough exercise and a healthy diet are essential. Especially when the 'r' is in the month (but actually always), like now, it is extra important to give your body and resistance some extra attention.

Lifestyle number one

Lifestyle number one

According to the people at Holland & Barrett, good resistance starts with a healthy lifestyle. As we already mentioned relaxation and sleep important and it is therefore not a problem at all to get into bed on time or to spend the whole Sunday under a blanket on the couch with a glass of red wine (does wine count as relaxation?). In addition, it is important to have enough evolve. And we don't mean intensive exercise, no no, an hour of walking or cycling every day at a reasonable pace is sufficient. Of course, a healthy and varied diet is also important. A healthy and varied diet consists of sufficient vegetables and fruit, but also sufficient whole grain products, legumes, oily fish and nuts and seeds. How about that glass of wine? Balance is key shall we say?

If it is not always possible to eat healthy and get all the nutrients you need, you can: certain nutritional supplements in addition, help maintain your resistance.

Nutritional supplements for resistance

Nutritional supplements for resistance

Well, knowing that, we can move on to what we were most curious about, namely which nutritional supplements they recommend, since we could no longer see the forest because of all those supplements. Holland & Barrett's walking supplement encyclopedia taught us that vitamins C, vitamin D en zinc form the basis of resistance supplements as far as vitamins and minerals are concerned.

There are also certain herbal supplements that can support resistance, such as: Echinacea en cat's claw. Cat what? Cat's claw yes, also known as cat's claw, and that is not cat's paw, but an herb that has been used by Indians for centuries to support the immune system. We know that again! And then there's credentials for multivitamins, what about that? We'll come back to this later in the text, promise.

Vitamin C and vitamin D: the all-time resistance boosters

Vitamin C and vitamin D: the all-time resistance boosters

First more about vitamins C and D. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps protect your body against external influences, such as viruses and bacteria. It also helps with the absorption of iron, a mineral that also has a positive influence on your immune system. You can find vitamin C in fruits and vegetables – did you know that a red pepper contains almost three times as much vitamin C as an orange? Neither do we. For those who are unable to eat enough fruit and vegetables every day, a vitamin C supplement, such as Holland & Barrett vitamin C 1000 mgbe a supplement.

Vitamin D is also a vitamin that supports the body's defenses. Yet vitamin D is completely different from vitamin C and all other vitamins. Your body produces vitamin D itself from sunlight. Because we spend less time outside in the autumn, it can be useful vitamin D3 supplement to swallow. The elderly, people with dark skin and people who rarely go outside or cover their skin have a higher need for vitamin D all year round. Vitamin D3 is the most absorbable form of vitamin D.

Zinc, echinacea and multivitamins

Zinc, echinacea and multivitamins

And then more about it zinc. You can get this mineral from eggs, cheese, nuts, legumes and shellfish. A zinc supplement can be a good addition to your diet. You can also choose to take a supplement that combines zinc with another mineral that supports the immune system, such as copper or selenium.

Vitamin C, D and zinc can easily be combined with those herbal supplements we talked about: cat's claw and Echinacea. Echinacea is the best known when it comes to resistance. Remember those bitter-tasting drops that you might have had to swallow in the past if your resistance was not optimal? Good news about that flavor, because there are now some echinacea tablets. We like!

Multivitamins contain a range of vitamins and minerals in one supplement. Whether anyone can benefit from one multivitamin supplement varies per situation. For someone with a busy lifestyle who has difficulty getting all the nutrients, a multivitamin can be useful. Someone who needs more of one specific nutrient is better off choosing a supplement containing only that nutrient, because a multivitamin does not always contain the most absorbable form of the substance.

Doesn't it help, doesn't it hurt?

Doesn't it help, doesn't it hurt?

Although many people think so, 'it doesn't help, it doesn't hurt' does not apply to nutritional supplements. It is certainly not the case that taking more of a vitamin or mineral than you need will provide extra support for your resistance. Although you often pee out a surplus of vitamins, too much of a certain nutrient can sometimes cause complaints. Therefore, always adhere to the recommended daily amount and the dosage.

Do you have questions about the use of nutritional supplements? At Holland & Barrett you can always walk into one of the stores for personal advice about lifestyle and supplements. You can also recently schedule an appointment online for one free telephone or video consultation, where you can ask all your questions.

In a nutshell

In a nutshell

Are you still feeling dizzy? No worries, Here's everything at a glance. Useful supplements* for during the 'r' months are:

  • De vitamins C and D
  • The mineral zinc
  • The herbal supplements cat's claw and Echinacea
  • Create a multivitamin, if you have a all in one find supplement useful

 

what to do If you are sick after all, we still wondered. Simple: rest and drink lots of chamomile tea. There is no point in taking extra supplements (unfortunately).

 

*A nutritional supplement can be used to supplement and not replace a healthy and varied diet.