Vitamins to Help You Beat Freshers Flu

Starting university is an exciting time for any student. As the new term begins, your social calendar is packed with fun events and you’re constantly mixing with new people and meeting new friends. But all the chaos of settling in to a different routine can sometimes have an impact on your body, causing you to feel a little more run down than usual, or being hit with the dreaded Freshers Flu.

With the help of the right vitamins and minerals, you can give your immune system the support it needs and maintain your busy lifestyle. So let’s take a look at the supplements that can best benefit students:

Vitamin D

If you’re having late nights throughout freshers week, it’s unlikely that you’ll be seeing too much of the sun! A daily dose of the sunshine vitamin provides vital support for your immune system, while also helping you to maintain healthy bones and teeth, plus normal muscle function.

Good sources of vitamin D include oily fish, red meat and egg yolks, but it can be hard to get enough from diet alone. It’s recommended that all adults in the UK take a Vitamin D supplement, particularly during the autumn and winter months, to make sure we’re getting enough to meet the recommended daily intake of 10mcg.

Vitamin C

Another immunity-boosting nutrient is vitamin C. A natural antioxidant, it’s a vitamin widely known for its health benefits, like helping your immune system function normally and reducing feelings of tiredness and fatigue. Vitamin C also contributes to collagen production, so it’s great for your skin too!

As it’s a water soluble vitamin, and our bodies are unable to store it in large amounts, it’s important to maintain your daily intake, through diet, or a vitamin C supplement if you need some extra support.

B Vitamins

There are 8 different B vitamins, all with their own unique roles within the body, but they’re most commonly known for their ability to turn food into energy and help fight feelings of tiredness and fatigue. However, vitamin B can also support brain health, with some studies indicating that increased intake of B vitamins can improve both mood and cognitive performance.

Like vitamin C, B vitamins are also water soluble and cannot be stored in your body – except for vitamin B12 – so regular intake is vital to make sure you’re getting adequate amounts each day. A daily B-Complex supplement is the perfect way to top up your daily levels of all 8 B vitamins.

Digestive Enzymes

The gut is often referred to as your second brain – without a healthy digestive system, you’re not going to feel your healthiest in other areas. And when starting university, adjusting to a new routine and social life, it’s likely your diet won’t be as balanced as usual. Whether it’s eating out with new friends, or enjoying a pizza on a hangover day, a digestive enzyme supplement can offer some support.

Digestive enzymes such as Amylase, Lipase and Protease, help to break down fats, carbs and proteins, in turn making food easier for your body to digest. Without these enzymes, it becomes more difficult for your digestive system to work as it should, and you may experience symptoms such as gas, stomach ache or diarrhoea.

With so much to look forward to, the last thing any student wants is for their new lifestyle to be ground to a halt by freshers flu. Protecting your body’s natural defences with immunity-boosting vitamins and supplements can help you stay happy and healthy, all year round.