Especially during colder months of the year it is essential to keep your immune system as strong as possible. Only a strong immune system can shield you from catching those nasty colds.
If we take a closer look at our body it becomes obvious that free radicals are usually to blame for a weak immune system. Free radicals damage healthy cells by causing cell alterations (mutations) which can also lead to serious illnesses like heart disease and cancer. Luckily there are ways to fight them.
The most efficient weapons against them are certain substances present in food that can destroy them. These substances are called antioxidants.
In theory fresh air, exercise and a lot of vitamin C should do the trick. But in real life it is usually hard to achieve all that. Too often we all run out of time for outdoor activities. It is obvious that shorter days during winter do not help either.
Vitamin C is regarded to be highly efficient when properly delivered to our cells. It does at least these things:
- Helps the immune system to fight off foreign invaders and out of control cells.
- Supports the cardiovascular system.
- Facilitates fat metabolism.
- Protects tissues from free radical damage.
- Assists the nervous system by converting certain amino acids into neurotransmitters.
- Prevents Scurvy.
- Is a co-factor in many biological processes.
- Protects the joints and connective tissues.
- Protects adrenal function.
If we ate enough of fruit and vegetables rich with vitamin C, we should probably be fine. Vitamin C is one of the strongest antioxidants. Unfortunately fruit nowadays is no longer what it should be. They contain far less good stuff then they used to when everything was grown organically and without many genetic transformations. Organically grown fruits are unfortunately a rather expensive alternative.
Have you ever been wondering why you can't get what you need from your food?
- The foods you eat are stripped of nutrients through refining and processing.
- The foods you eat are laden with fats, sugars, and salts, and devoid of other essential nutrients.
- A USDA government survey of 21,500 people found that not one single person consumed 100% of the U.S. RDA, from the foods they ate.
- Due to the time it takes fresh foods to get from the farm to your table, 57% or more of the nutritional value can be lost.
- The foods you eat can be harmful from the use of pesticides, fungicides, sulfites, and preservatives.
This of course does not mean you should not eat fruit and vegetables. You definitely should, but some food supplements are also very welcome.
I recommend at least some good organic vitamin C (don't settle for a cheap synthetic supplement) and Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) extract.
