Should we take food supplements to combat winter fatigue?

Do you feel more tired in winter? How to eat better? Should we turn to food supplements? Here is the advice of health professionals.

The day rises late, night falls early… giving way to seasonal slack weather. Temperatures drop as winter approaches, viruses and microbes circulate while immune defenses are more fragile. So how to boost yourself?

Of course, it does not destroy viruses and bacteria, but a healthy and balanced diet boosts our immune defenses: “We can find lots of things in micronutrients. By focusing on the right foods, you naturally strengthen your immune system”explains Bénédicte Engelhard.

The dietician who has her practice in Caen lists the foods that contain vitamins. Here are some examples:

• Vitamin C : citrus fruits, kiwi, parsley, raw or lightly cooked cabbage so that it retains its vitamin content. Red cabbage is also recommended by the health professional.
• Vitamin D : fatty fish, sardines, mushrooms, dairy products with fat. “We are clearly lacking in Normandy”says the specialist.
• Vitamin A : sweet potato, carrot, pumpkin, lettuce, spinach…
• Vitamins E : vegetable oils of camelina, olive, sunflower…
• Le Zinc : the oyster is the food richest in zinc and our coasts are overflowing with it. Then, we find other seafood, red meat, cheese…
• Magnesium: seeds and oilseeds such as peanuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, almonds. Dried vegetables such as beans, chickpeas or lentils or even dried fruits such as dried bananas, figs, apricots and then cereal products such as wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, oat bran, etc.
• Omega-3 : fatty fish like salmon or sardines…
• Iron: spirulina, red meat, blood sausage, liver, shellfish, lentils…

“The idea is to have a varied diet with a little bit of everything. We must avoid restrictive diets, because it is neither good for the immune system nor for morale. We must treat ourselves and once again eat everything”specifies Bénédicte Engelhard.

For the dietitian, the short circuit should clearly be favored: “When food is stored cool, a gas is used. There is therefore less vitamin content. Whereas by choosing local and even organic, we do not have this problem.”

At the Oratoire Anton & Willem pharmacy in Caen, several shelves contain food supplements. A herbalist establishment since 2015 which focuses mainly on advice: “Here, we want to advise what would be good for the person in front of us and not just offer a product”tells us Nadine Dreyfus, pharmacist and manager.

When asked what food supplements are recommended on the threshold of winter. She answers us: “Vitamin D for lack of sunlight, Zinc for immunity and magnesium to fight against stress and fatigue. But once again, we prefer to discuss with customers to see together what would be best.”

“Food is the basis of everything! But sometimes, we feel tired, stressed and we simply need a boost. Some people have chronic deficiencies, others eat what they need , that’s not enough, so we have to find substitutes.”specifies Maud Noël, pharmacist in the same establishment.

“In fact, vegetarians and vegans may lack vitamin B12. We strongly advise them to take it”specifies Hélène Lebarbier, pharmacist in Saint-Etienne du Rouvray, in Seine-Maritime. “If a woman has heavy periods, she may need to take iron.”

For several years, theFood supplements are becoming more and more attractive for the French. According to the national union of food supplements, 59% of French people consume them.

“15 years ago, there was an overhaul of the pharmacy system where the pharmacy changed. Neighborhood pharmacies have had great difficulty surviving in recent years. At the same time, laboratories have developed more and more choices of food supplements. So obviously, they turned to this market.”explains Hélène Lebarbier.

“We recommend it, yes, but we always point out that you have to eat well and exercise. If you eat poorly, not enough and are sedentary, even if you take these supplements, it won’t change anything. Yes, I repeat, it’s a complement“, adds the latter. “And above all, the best thing is to do a blood test prescribed by the general practitioner. The results will speak and thus the advice will be calibrated accordingly.”

“You really need to talk to a doctor or pharmacist, because certain food supplements can be dangerous because they are not compatible with certain pathologies”, warns Bénédicte Engelhard. Same story among the different pharmacists.

There has always been a fashion phenomenon around food supplements: “But it’s true that this is even more the case today. You only have to look at social networks. There are star pills like probiotics and collagen”explains Maud Noël. “At the moment, the big trend is rosemary.”

Professionals call for the greatest vigilance: “You sometimes have influencers who recommend this or that food supplement. You should absolutely avoid them. It’s not necessarily quality. On the internet, you can find anything and everything. You have to trust your doctor or pharmacists and buy them from known and recognized suppliers! The laboratories with which we work are safe and above all certified!adds Hélène Lebarbier.

“Sometimes, by taking several of them, you can create a cocktail of vitamin overdose. And it’s not because it’s natural or organic that it’s not dangerous! It has to be supervised. The advice dietary supplements must be done with a health professional. Even as I am a dietitian, this is what I recommend to my patients.concludes Bénédicte Engelhard.