Essential Winter Supplements

It may already be more than halfway through the winter season but that doesn’t mean it’s time to let up on those all essential winter wellness habits that have kept us strong and healthy during the colder, darker months. Winter can be harsh and it’s so easy to give in to our body’s reflex hibernation mode whilst we wait for spring to arrive. It’s essential to maintain a healthy, nutritiously varied diet all year round, but even more so during the winter where an extra supplement boost can go a long way.

1. Vitamin D

Also known as the sunshine vitamin and quite possibly the most obvious winter supplement choice and one that not only we, here at Link Nutrition, but also the NHS and Public Health England (PHE) recommend everyone to take in the UK, especially during the cold, dark winter months. Vitamin D plays a vital role in maintaining strong bones, regulating the body’s absorption of calcium and magnesium and can even promote a positive mood. Vitamin D requires sunlight to be activated and so without a reliable source of strong sunlight, vitamin D deficiency is a great risk. Our Food Based Vitamin D3 boost contains 25mcg of vitamin D3, a slightly higher amount of vitamin D3 than the NHS-recommended 10mcg because in our opinion, and from our experiences, we have found our customers benefit more from a slightly higher amount. You can find out more about vitamin D as an essential winter supplement in our Vitamin D blog on our website.

2. Mushroom Plus

Mushrooms really are the quiet, under-appreciated high achievers of the health industry. The four mushrooms we have included in our Mushroom Plus blend; Cordyceps, Chaga, Lions Mane and Reishi have been used in ancient and traditional medicine for centuries and are all examples of adaptogenic substances. Adaptogens can be defined as substances that have the potential to help the body adapt to different stresses, both mental and physical. Health benefits of adaptogens include regulating tiredness and fatigue, speeding up exercise recovery and helping to maintain a healthy, strong immune system (you can read more about the role of mushrooms in immunity on our blog). Our Mushroom Plus blend is the perfect base winter supplement to give an all a round boost to your immune system, energy levels and general well-being. Our blend is further boosted with turmeric powder to pack in even more antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power.

3. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a key vitamin for the maintenance of a healthy and strong immune system and so it comes as no surprise that our Food Based Vitamin C & Bioflavanoids supplement is a firm favourite during cold and flu season. Vitamin C is considered to be one of the most powerful natural antioxidants and therefore provides vital protection from oxidative stress. More detailed information about antioxidants can be found in our antioxidant blog on our website. As well as its mighty oxidation-protecting powers, Vitamin C is also key for the production of healthy collagen, the body’s most abundant structural protein found in the skin, bones and muscles. The Food Based vitamin C (derived from citrus fruits) we use in our supplement is included with its naturally occurring cofactors and bioflavanoids - meaning that the vitamin C delivered to the body closely resembles the vitamin C found in food. This makes the absorbability of our Vitamin C far superior to synthetic supplements and it is able to be delivered in much lower doses.

Of course, there are numerous food sources of vitamin C and we suggest the use of vitamin C supplementation as an addition to a varied and balanced diet full of vitamin C - rich food (citrus fruits, berries, kiwis are all examples).

4. Zinc

Zinc is a necessary element required for so many bodily processes and functions and is involved in over 100 different enzymatic reactions. The most commonly known health benefit of zinc is its involvement in the regulation of a healthy and strong immune system. It has even been scientifically proven that zinc deficiency can severely impair the body’s immune defenses. We have added zinc to a number of our supplements including our Food Based Vitamin C & Bioflavanoids and Multi Plus supplements for added immune benefits.

5. Multi Plus

Our Food Based Multi Plus supplement is our most general supplement with over 20 different ingredients giving an all-round health boost that covers all bases. Although not specifically winter wellness-focused it is very important to maintain your levels of essential vitamins and minerals all year round and this supplement provides all of these beneficial nutrients in just 2 capsules a day.