隨著秋天的到來,雖然氣溫下降得稍晚,但到了十一月早晚已經有涼意,天氣乾燥、日夜溫差大,上呼吸道感染(如感冒)的風險也顯著上升。除了保暖和多補充水分外,適當的營養攝取也至關重要,而鋅在增強免疫力和緩解感冒症狀方面有顯著的幫助。
鋅的益處:增強免疫、縮短感冒時間
鋅是一種人體必需的微量營養素,參與了超過300種酶的活性調節,對抗炎、抗氧化、能量代謝和神經系統的正常運作都有幫助。在增強免疫系統、減少感冒症狀以及預防感染方面,鋅的作用尤為重要。
綜合七項臨床研究的結果顯示,每天補充80-92毫克的鋅可以將普通感冒的持續時間縮短33%;而每天補充192-207毫克的鋅則可縮短35%。在一項美國研究中,146名感冒患者被分為服用鋅含片組和安慰劑組,每兩小時服用23毫克鋅含片或安慰劑,持續七天。結果顯示,服用鋅的組別中有86%的患者在七天內完全康復(相比之下,安慰劑組僅有46%康復),且感冒持續時間平均為3.9天(安慰劑組為10.8天)。研究還顯示,服用鋅的患者在流鼻涕、鼻塞、咳嗽等症狀的頻率和嚴重程度上顯著低於安慰劑組。
鋅不僅可以增強免疫系統,還能維持皮膚和黏膜的健康,增加其對感染的抵抗力。鋅對於免疫細胞,如巨噬細胞、自然殺傷(NK)細胞和T細胞的生長和分化起到了促進作用。在感染期間,足夠的鋅可以幫助抑制過度的炎症反應,減少細胞膜的通透性,從而減少局部水腫、炎症反應以及分泌物的產生,幫助緩解病情。因此,在感冒期間,可以選擇劑量靈活的滴劑式鋅補充劑來增加鋅的攝取量。
日常補充鋅 預防呼吸道感染
日常低劑量補充鋅也有助於預防呼吸道感染。在美國的一項研究中,40名空軍學員被分為兩組,一組每天服用15毫克鋅,另一組服用安慰劑,持續七個月。結果顯示,服用鋅組別的學員自行報告的感冒症狀顯著少於安慰劑組。在另一項針對50名長者的研究中,受試者每天服用三粒15毫克鋅膠囊或安慰劑,持續12個月。結果顯示,補鋅組別在12個月內只有7例感染,顯著低於安慰劑組的35例,扁桃腺發炎、感冒、唇瘡和發燒等症狀顯著減少。
鋅可以從日常食物中攝取,如紅肉、貝類、豆類、堅果和乳製品等,但植物性食物中的植酸鹽和纖維會阻礙鋅的吸收。因此,素食者或消化能力較弱、無法大量攝取動物性食品的人,可能需要額外服用鋅補充劑。
蕃石榴葉補充有機鋅 抗氧化抗菌防感冒
蕃石榴葉(Guava Leaves)富含有機鋅,並含有多種有益的化合物,如抗氧化多酚和多醣等。蕃石榴葉在多個地區作為草藥被廣泛使用,且多項研究指出其具有抗氧化、抗炎和調節免疫的效果。
研究顯示,蕃石榴葉提取物中高含量的抗氧化多酚和類黃酮可能對HIV病毒、金黃葡萄球菌(Staphylococcus aureus)和蠟樣芽孢桿菌(Bacillus cereus)等致病菌具有抑制作用。此外,對感染甲型流感病毒的細胞進行的培植實驗發現,蕃石榴葉能顯著增加清除受感染細胞的乳酸脫氫酶(LDH)活性,並能刺激抑制病毒複製的基因表達,從而減少病毒數量並緩解感染。研究還進一步發現,這些效用與蕃石榴葉中的多醣有關。
日本的一項研究指出,綠茶和蕃石榴茶都能有效抑制不同H1N1甲型流感病毒株的生長,但蕃石榴茶在增強免疫系統對抗流感病毒的血凝作用(即促進流感病毒與靶細胞表面結合,使其被免疫細胞吞噬)方面,比綠茶高出兩倍。印尼在新冠疫情期間的一項臨床實驗中,也邀請了80多名新冠輕症或無症狀患者,一半患者在接受一般治療的基礎上額外服用蕃石榴葉提取物七天。結果顯示,蕃石榴葉組的患者康復速度更快,免疫系統增強,炎症反應減少,對病毒感染的抵抗力顯著提高。
Biotrace的有機鋅補充劑以蕃石榴葉提取物為原料,每劑不僅能補充鋅,還能提供蕃石榴葉中的多種有益化合物,讓預防秋冬感冒更加高效。建議搭配脂質體維他命C、益纖菌等營養補充劑,以支持免疫系統和腸道健康,讓秋冬的防護更加全面。
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