Copper, gold, silver … these minerals, which are rarely present naturally in the body, give us a boost to fight against viruses or slackness in the middle of winter. Our advice for choosing the most suitable food supplements for your condition. Here are some trace elements to Strengthen your Immune System.
Summary
- Trace elements boost our immune defences
- Trace elements fight against fatigue
- Find elements help us keep morale high
- Precautions to take
In Greek, oligo means “little”. Trace elements are minerals are available only in trace amounts in our body. However, they have an essential function: “They act as catalysts, a bit like the spark that starts the engine of a car,” explains expert biochemists.
Trace elements indeed provide the body’s reactions necessary to defend itself against viruses, cope with stress or fatigue … And if we find them in our diet, a boost is sometimes necessary. This is especially true in winter when the body is severely tested by the cold and viruses.
Trace elements boost our immune defences
“Taking trace elements is useful if you have repeated infections during the winter,” suggests experts. In general, “studies prove that trace elements strengthen defences: markers of the immune system are improved, for example, with zinc and selenium supplements”, recognizes experts.
This zinc-selenium duo is particularly useful after age 65, because studies have shown that supplementation reduces the risk of bronchopulmonary infections.
Before age 65, it is rather the copper-gold-silver trio that is used to counter viruses (colds, flu, gastrointestinal …) and bacteria. Copper is both antiviral and antibacterial, gold stimulates the action of white blood cells and silver is rather bactericidal.
In the case of chronic ENT infections (tonsillitis, rhinos, sinusitis, etc.), this trio is associated with sulfur, which participates in the regeneration of the mucous membranes of the nose and throat.
All these trace elements are used as a preventive background treatment, starting in the fall and for three months. We take each trace element (or synergy type copper-gold-silver) two to three times a week, alternating if we combine several.
In case of colds or other winter infection, you can also increase the dose (twice a day) for a few days, to support the defences.
Trace elements fight against fatigue
“Unlike vitamin C, trace elements are not going to provide an immediate boost. On the other hand, they will help to modify the terrain to regain energy in a sustainable way, ” specifies experts.
Interesting so if you feel a big slack in early winter, to prevent it from turning into lasting fatigue.
In parallel with the copper-gold-silver trio, which boosts immunity but also helps to recover, often prescribed during periods of convalescence. We will add selenium if we feel physically weak because a deficit is often synonymous with muscle fatigue.
In the event of nervous exhaustion: we feel on edge, we fall for nothing… The copper-gold-silver are associated with magnesium because stress depletes our stock and our nerve cells need it to function properly. All these treatments are alternately, two to three times a week, for at least one month.
Find elements help us keep morale high
When winter fatigue is accompanied by a small depression, linked in particular to the lack of light, lithium is prescribed to rebalance morale in infinitesimal doses, much less than those used in psychiatry to treat depression. It is the anti-fatigue trace elements.
In case of chronic anxiety, “with sleep problems in particular, prefer the duo manganese-cobalt, alone or in addition,” says experts.
These treatments are to be taken every day, until February-March to fight against the winter blues or during stressful periods (such as exams , a large file to return to work …), a minimum of one month.
Precautions to take
A risk of accumulation. Be careful not to combine them with food supplements that also contain them!
Remote outlets: Certain trace elements are at a distance so as not to risk cancelling their effects: selenium and copper or manganese and selenium, for example.
Contraindications: Magnesium in case of renal failure risks being badly eliminated and stored in excess, zinc in case of cancer could promote the proliferation of cells.
Trace elements to strengthen your immune system
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