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The Best Vitamins & Supplements To Take During Summer

The Best Vitamins & Supplements To Take During Summer
Jennifer Blow
Writer and expert3 years ago
View Jennifer Blow's profile

With summer finally almost here, our supplement routines will likely change a little bit. There are a few different supplements that are worth considering taking as the seasons change. Just like in winter, you might want to up your levels of vitamin D, there are certain supplements that work brilliantly in the summer. Let’s explore a few of these options now.

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1. Vitamin & Multivitamin Tablets

Vitamins A and E: These two popular vitamins can help protect your skin from sun damage. Let’s be honest, there are a few of us that will spend too long in the sun this summer, which can lead to several consequences like skin damage, heat rashes and sun stroke. As well as sunscreen, plenty of water to stay hydrated and plenty of shade, vitamin A and E can also contribute to skin protection. 

Vitamin A plays the role in the body which helps maintain healthy bones, soft tissue and healthy skin, making it one of the best supplements to take during the summer. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, meaning it can easily penetrate the skin cells membranes – giving us that little bit of extra protection from the sun. Of course, don’t rely solely on your daily dose of vitamins – plenty of sunscreen and shade too.

Whilst spending time in the sun during the summer is a great way to boost your vitamin D levels, a multivitamin is a good supplement to include all year round. Ensuring you have an appropriate intake of a wide range of vitamins and minerals will help you stay fit and healthy. 

Best vitamin tablets:

 

2. Best Supplements for Hair

The sun dehydrates hair and damages its protein structure, which means it can break much more easily than usual. The best supplements to take to keep your hair hydrated should contain the essential mineral, zinc, which keeps hair follicles strong. Zinc also has antioxidant properties which help to eliminate the harmful effects of the sun on your body. 

 

3. Best Supplements for Skin and Nails

Sun damage can cause the skin to lose its structural integrity and look prematurely aged, especially from excessive exposure. Up to 80% of skin’s dry weight is made up of collagen, which gives it its structural integrity and youthful appearance. 

To be active in the deeper layers of the skin, it’s thought that collagen has to be ingested, rather than simply rubbed into the skin, making liquid collagen an ideal supplement to help keep collagen levels elevated and your skin looking fresh. Vitamin C helps formation of collagen too, which means it's a good idea to have plenty of vitamin C in your diet too. Biotin (vitmain B7), ribovlafin (vitamin B2), and vitamin A also help keep skin healthy.

A collagen supplement can also help with skin care as it has the ability to trigger skin cells to repair themselves. Marine collagen is considered to be one of the best collagen supplements and has been shown to improve skin elasticity, thickness, and hydration.1 

 

4. Best Supplements for Hydration

It’s important to stay hydrated on those hot summer days. Water is your first priority to stay hydrated, especially when you’re exercising, as it provides muscles with hydroelectric energy, circulates nutrients and keeps your heart circulating blood properly. But did you know there are other supplements that can help keep your body hydrated? 

When you’re dehydrated, important electrolytes like sodium (salt), magnesium and potassium are lost through sweat and urine. An adequate supply of sodium means that water can be properly absorbed through cells to hydrate the body, while potassium and magnesium help to maintain fluid balance. 

Thankfully, many of us get enough sodium from our diets day-to-day, but our diets tend to be a little lower in magnesium and potassium which are found in fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes and animal products.Being dehydrated on those hot sunny days can decrease your body’s levels of these major electrolytes, causing reduced energy and endurance and increased fatigue, while seriously low levels can cause cramps, dizziness and nausea. A quick and easy way to refuel and keep hydrated is by drinking water with added electrolytes.

Best electrolyte and carbohydrate supplement for active people: Myprotein Energy Elite 

 

Best On-the-Go Supplements

During the summer time it’s likely you’ll be out and about a lot, so having supplements on hand can helps you get important macros in. Protein bars and shakes are a great way to keep your protein intake high on the go and are a tasty, refreshing way to keep your nutrition on track.

Best Protein Bar: Layered Bar

Containing 20g of protein for 219kcals, the Layered Protein Bar comes in a range of different flavours including birthday cake, chocolate sundae, brown sugar, peanut butter and cookies and cream. The Layered Protein Bar also contains 18g of carbohydrates and 9g of fibre making it a well-rounded snack that will help to keep you feeling full.

Best Protein Shake: Clear Whey Isolate

Clear Whey Isolate contains 20g of protein and only 0.1g fat and 0.3g of sugar. This means each scoop is only 83kcals making a perfect choice if you are trying to stay lean during the summer. It comes in five different refreshing fruity flavours - Bitter Lemon, Orange Mango, Peach Tea, Mojito and Rainbow Candy.

 

Take Home Message

As well as using plenty of sunscreen, this article has presented some of the best supplements to cover all your summer needs, helping these healthy summer supplements can help you stay hydrated while keeping your hair, skin and nails in tip-top condition.
  1. Bolke, L., Schlippe, G., Gerß, J., & Voss, W. (2019). A collagen supplement improves skin hydration, elasticity, roughness, and density: Results of a randomized, placebo-controlled, blind study. Nutrients11(10), 2494. 
Jennifer Blow
Writer and expert
View Jennifer Blow's profile
Jennifer Blow has a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Science and a Master of Science by Research in Nutrition, and now specialises in the use of sports supplements for health and fitness, underpinned by evidence-based research. Jennifer has been quoted or mentioned as a nutritionist in major online publications including Vogue, Elle, and Grazia, for her expertise in nutritional science for exercise and healthy living. Her experience spans from working with the NHS on dietary intervention trials, to specific scientific research into omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and also the effect of fast foods on health, which she has presented at the annual Nutrition Society Conference. Jennifer is involved in many continuing professional development events to ensure her practise remains at the highest level. Find out more about Jennifer’s experience here: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-blow. In her spare time, Jennifer loves hill walking and cycling, and in her posts you’ll see that she loves proving healthy eating doesn’t mean a lifetime of hunger.
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