With the cold season also begins again the cold season. Everyone sniffles, sneezes and coughs. Vitamin C and zinc are supposed to help you prevent colds. Find out here if and how this works.
The dry air from the heating system dries out our mucous membranes, the odd sneeze doesn't end up in a handkerchief after all, and bacteria just fly around the room when we cough.
Cold viruses really have an easy time of it.
Normally, viruses can't harm us. But when our immune system is weakened, we are vulnerable.
And the beasts lurk everywhere. On the bus, on palms, in the office, on doorknobs and even in the air they buzz around.
Not in the mood for colds, coughs and hoarseness? Vitamin C and zinc support you in the cold season.
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While the others sneeze, cough and need one handkerchief after the other, you stay fit this year.
That sounds like a good plan, doesn't it? But does it really work that easily with vitamin C and zinc? We took a closer look.
Here's how to avert a cold at the last moment!
When dietary supplements make sense
Especially in autumn and winter, when our immune system is struggling, you should make sure to take enough vitamins. You can catch a cold or flu more quickly than you would like.
Simple vitamin C foods are often not enough. Especially because the vitamin is rapidly degraded.
The longer fruits and vegetables are stored, the lower their vitamin content. For example, a bell bell pepper can lose up to 2/3 of its vitamin C from the time it is stored until it is eaten. During cooking, ascorbic acid is completely destroyed. So there is not much left for our body.
I therefore always take additional vitamin C during the critical time, in the fall and over the winter. But I pay attention to high-quality vitamins that also taste really good. Because there is nothing more disgusting than the effervescent tablets from the drugstore that only contain artificial vitamins.
You can drink your vitamins with a much better conscience.
Why vitamin C and zinc help against colds
Vitamin C and zinc are important for a functioning immune system. If you have a strong immune system, you will be less susceptible to colds and other diseases.
It is also helpful to take vitamin C and zinc during a cold. The vitamin and the trace element relieve the symptoms and help you get over the cold faster.
That will make you healthy again very quickly
Zinc makes you healthy again quickly
For a long time it was controversial whether vitamin C and zinc really help against colds. However, have some studies proved that zinc is ideal for the prevention and treatment of colds.
The studies show that by taking zinc significantly fewer colds break out. In addition, colds, coughs and Co disappear faster. The symptoms also turned out to be much lighter.
In order for the trace element to really help with colds, action must be taken quickly. Zinc must be taken in high doses immediately when the first cold symptoms appear. At the latest 24 hours after the onset of the cold.
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Zinc prevents the common cold viruses from attaching to the cells in the nasal mucosa. In addition, it inhibits the growth of the cold viruses and slows down the multiplication of the pathogens.
The symptoms of the common cold are less severe, because the trace element prevents the release of histamine and the metabolism of prostaglandins. As a result, the nasal mucous membranes swell less and you can breathe easier.
In the best case, you should take zinc as a lozenge. Or you can dissolve an effervescent tablet and gargle the solution before swallowing it.
It doesn't taste very good, but this way it works directly on the mucous membranes and saves going through the digestive system.
However, there are also many zinc foods that ward off flu-like infections. You can find the most zinc in oysters, cocoa, nuts, seeds and kernels.
Attention: So long the common cold is contagious!
Vitamin C strengthens the immune system
We know that vitamin C and zinc help against colds. But what exactly is the task of vitamin C?
It is the anti-cold vitamin par excellence. Because vitamin C supports the activity of the defense cells and helps your defense system to fight against viruses and invaders. In short, it ensures a strong and healthy immune system.
Quick SOS tips for scratchy throat!
When you have a cold, your vitamin C level drops. In order for your immune defense to hold up, you should take plenty of the vitamin when you start to have a cold.
By balancing your vitamin C levels, you can shorten the duration of your cold and relieve symptoms.
Peppers, parsley, broccoli, fennel, kiwi, lemon and orange contain particularly high levels of vitamin C.
How you can prevent a cold with vitamin C and zinc
To prevent a cold, you should not only reach for vitamin C and zinc during the cold season.
A balanced diet is always important. This is the only way you can contribute to a healthy immune system and prevent diseases.
Attention: Vitamin C and zinc cannot be produced by our body itself. Therefore, the supply through food is necessary.
It is also important that you drink enough. The liquid ensures that the mucous membranes in the respiratory tract do not dry out and are thus protected. Dry mucous membranes are much more susceptible to viruses.
These foods are particularly high in zinc!
Our conclusion
If you want to prevent a cold, you need to ensure a fit immune system. Only then can your body fight off the cold viruses. The best way to do this is to eat healthy, exercise, reduce stress and keep warm.
All the best and stay healthy!
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