Each year in November, I get a cold. Not exactly newsworthy, you may correctly think. But the cold advances and has, over the past ten years, morphed into all sorts of horrid chesty things befitting a Victorian novel, including pneumonia and whooping cough. This episode of illness ends only when spring descends, and I spend the winter months whining about it between splutters to anyone who’ll listen.
In a bid to give myself, my beleaguered lungs, and my bored friends a break this year, I started to research winter immunity. The thread, once pulled, is very long and there are many nuances to it. I did, however, identify some key trends among supplements, and have started to take the correct ones accordingly.
While I won’t be able to tell you if it’s worked until we’re safely out the other side, I can tell you that the very bad cold that recently hit didn’t quite reach the stage where the doctor put me on any medication to slow it down, which is certainly an improvement.
Here’s what the experts think we should all be adding to weather the winter months in good health should you, like me, plan to attend parties free of snot this year.
Vitamin C
Let’s start with the obvious one. We all know Vitamin C is a key to being robust, thanks to it stimulating immune activity, but clinical nutritionist Dr Stephanie Moore adds two caveats I think worth passing on. “First, get as much as you can from food - which is a good rule of thumb anyway. Second, Vitamin C is burned out of the body very quickly, so if you’ve been exposed to something or are coming down with a cold, take 500-1000mg every 2-3 hours. Don’t take it all the time - just as and when.”
Ones to try: Altrient Liposomal Vitamin C, 49.99, planetorganic.com; Wild Nutrition Food-Grown Vitamin C Plus, £24, wildnutrition.com.
Vitamin D
This one’s non-negotiable if you live in the UK. In theory, you should get it from the sun, but it’s not strong enough over here during winter months for our bodies to be able to synthesise Vitamin D. So, supplementing is a must to help regulate the immune system and make it more sophisticated when it comes to fighting infection.
Dr Moore has another tip. “To make Vitamin D do its job better, it needs its buddy, Vitamin K2. Always take the two together.”
Ones to try: Barebiology Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2, £19.95, barebiology.com; Beauty Pie Like Sun Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2 Softgel, £13.50, beautypie.com.
Probiotics
We now all know that good gut health equals good everything in the body, and it’s precisely the same when it comes to immunity. Lorraine Perretta, head of nutrition at Advanced Nutrition Programme, says: “Once the biome is unhappy, it leads to constipation, digestion issues, poor immunity, and all sorts of other issues. The problem is that everything impacts the biome from ageing to antibiotics to alcohol, so looking after it is key.”
Dr Moore adds: “Start with fermented foods, and add a probiotic if run down, stressed, or on antibiotics, and keep going for 3-4 weeks."
Ones to try: Symprove Daily Essential, 79.99 for a month's supply, symprove.com; The Nue Co Prebiotic + Probiotic, £53, cultbeauty.co.uk.
Lactoferrin
Increasingly coming to the fore as a really brilliant immunity-enhancing supplement, this works to fend off the bad stuff in three ways. First, it stands guard at the gateways i.e. in fluids, tears, and saliva; second, it recruits other immune cells for tactical support if pathogens do breach the system, and, third, it is immune-modulating, meaning that if something is getting out of hand, it'll quieten down the immune response when the infection is under control. I take it whenever I feel something coming on, and when someone in the office has been sneezing near me a lot, just in case.
Ones to try: Leapfrog Immune, £34.99, leapfrogremedies.com.
Omega 3
Peretta and Moore both emphasise how vital it is to take Omega 3 regularly — and not just because they’re immune modulatory. Moore says, “You should take these year-round, really — they are needed for so many functions in the body, and we simply can’t make them ourselves”. Side note: if your nails break and your skin usually feels dry and like crepe paper come December, prioritise getting your hands on these. I’ve been taking them for a solid six months and they’ve made a vast difference to my skin, hair, and nails.
Ones to try: Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Omegas+, £34, advancednutritionsystem.com; Together Health Natural Algae DHA Omega 3, £13.99, victoriahealth.com.
B12
Essential if you’re veggie (as you won’t be able to get enough from your food), but a good idea during winter months for everyone. B12 plays a role in supporting red blood cell formation, meaning it helps to control energy release, reduce fatigue, and, you guessed it, increases immune function.
Ones to try: BetterYou Boost Daily Vitamins B12 Oral spray, £12.45, victoriahealth.com; Wild Nutrition Food-Grown Vitamin B12 Plus, £15, wildnutrition.com.
Mushrooms
You’ve probably heard a lot about the benefits of medical mushrooms recently - and Dr Moore says it’s all warranted. “They are excellent for the immune system overall, with some having specific applications, too - but quality is critical, and they can be quite pricy.” I’ve plumped for those with myriad benefits in the hope of propping up my immunity with all that mushroomy goodness.
Ones to try: Hifas da Terra Microbiota, £48.40, planetorganic.com; Together Health Organic Reishi, £27.99, togetherhealth.co.uk.
IV Drips
Whenever I've tipped a little too far in the wrong direction and my body is upset about the three aperols or two hours of sleep, I give it a boost in the form of an IV drip. I usually ask for a flood of vitamins and antioxidants, though of course anywhere good will be able to tailor the drip to your needs. Expect them to check your vital stats beforehand, and to fill out extensive forms. Don't go anywhere that'll just slap a drip in you.
My favourites: Dr Sohere Roked, price on application, Omniya.co.uk; Vivamayr London Day Clinic price on application, vivamayr.com.
