Vitamins & Minerals Can Fight Off Winter Illness

[Guest guest]

Boost Your Immunity: A Good Mix of Vitamins & Minerals Can Fight Off

Winter Illness: Eat well to help avoid flu

With the flu vaccine in short supply, people have been asking if

there is anything they can eat to avoid getting sick. Recent research

suggests vitamin supplements and balanced meals can be helpful.

Though I'm convinced nutrition makes a difference, it can't replace

common-sense measures such as washing hands often (and cleaning

phones, door knobs, and other frequently handled objects) and getting

enough sleep. Moderate exercise also has been shown to stimulate the

immune system, according to a study at Iowa State University, so

consider taking a daily walk. You might also see your doctor about

antiviral medicines that can help prevent the flu or make it go away

faster.

That said, consider taking a multivitamin with minerals and moderate

amounts of extra vitamin C and E. If you have any health problems,

check with your doctor before taking any supplements.

E helps the elderly

Elderly people who took 200 International Units of vitamin E for a

year got about 20 percent fewer colds, according to a study in the

Journal of the American Medical Association.

Many may have been mildly deficient in vitamin E. Only about half of

Americans meet the daily guidelines for vitamin E, according to

research in Nutrition in Clinical Care.

Most multivitamins have about 30 IU of vitamin E, so getting to 200

IU would require taking a separate, additional capsule of pure

vitamin E. It's nearly impossible to get that much vitamin E from

foods alone, but it won't hurt to eat more of these foods. Foods rich

in vitamin E include many vegetable oils, wheat germ, sunflower

seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, peanut butter, avocados and sweet

potatoes.

If you choose vitamin E pills, read the labels. Natural vitamin E,

also called D-alpha-tocopherol, is more active in the body than the

manmade form, which is a mix of both D- and L-alpha-tocopherol. Don't

take vitamin E pills if you are taking Coumadin, a common blood-

thinning medication.

Vitamin C debate

People often ask me about taking extra vitamin C. Research studies

are conflicting. Researchers last month suggested that taking daily

high doses of vitamin C does not prevent upper-respiratory infections

except in elite athletes, such as marathon runners.

Though vitamin C will not prevent colds and flu, it does seem to make

them go away a day or two quicker, according to many studies.

Most adults need only 75 to 90 milligrams per day for general health.

Higher doses seem to affect colds, but don't routinely take more than

2,000 milligrams of vitamin C. Too much can cause diarrhea and kidney

stones and can increase iron absorption.

You're unlikely to overdose on vitamin C from foods. Consider eating

oranges, grapefruits, lemon and lime juice, tomatoes, and

strawberries. Potatoes, broccoli, and cabbage also have some vitamin

C.

B vitamins help, too

Vitamins B-6 and B-12 also seem to help immune function, and some

small studies suggest supplements of these vitamins increase white

blood cells, which fight disease. Don't take high doses of vitamin B-

6 over the long term, however, as it may cause nerve pain. Most

adults need only 1.3 to 1.7 milligrams of vitamin B-6 per day, and

only 2.4 milligrams of vitamin B-12. You can get that from a standard

daily multivitamin.

Vitamin B-6 is found in a variety of items: potatoes, melon, bananas,

spinach, turkey, meats, beans, to name a few.

Vitamin B-12 is found naturally only in animal-based foods, such as

beef, milk, oysters and fish. It's also found in fortified cereals

and soy milk. After age 50, some people have problems absorbing

vitamin B-12 from food and can absorb it more easily from

supplements.

Minerals boost immunity

Selenium and zinc are also important for the immune system, and some

Americans have slight deficiencies of them. Both minerals are found

in protein-rich foods, such as oysters, steak, turkey, baked beans

and nuts, as well as in standard multivitamin-mineral pills.

JENNIFER MOTL, a registered dietitian, welcomes readers' questions:

Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va.

22401.