The Best Supplements For Office Workers
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Can you introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Rita Tarvydaite, I am a clinical herbalist and naturopath based in Dublin, Ireland. My husband and I run a busy clinic where I support my clients with a vast variety of health concerns, while Barry, my husband, looks after the business end of things. In our complementary medicine clinic, I create fully personalised health protocols that incorporate bespoke herbal medicine preparations, nutraceuticals, and lifestyle medicine. I also utilise functional testing, and work with quality supplement brands and companies to ensure I can offer the best support for my clients. At our clinic, I see clients of all ages, from babies to the elderly.
What nutrients can be depleted for an office worker?
Vitamin D
Although most office workers feel healthy and well, and therefore may not have any special requirements for supplementation, there are still many occasions where additional supplementation can be very helpful, and in some cases it can be needed. One of the things all office workers have in common is spending a lot of time indoors, and as our bodies synthesise vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, this can lead to increased chances of vitamin D deficiency, especially during the winter months.
Vitamin D is crucial for our immune system, and studies confirm that poor vitamin D status can cause greater susceptibility to common infections and respiratory viruses.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin (Vision Plus)
Although immunity and frequent infections are common concerns for many office workers, another important area I would recommend supporting is eye health. Spending prolonged periods at the computer screen can cause computer vision syndrome (CVS). Unfortunately, it's likely that many office workers are quite familiar with CVS symptoms like eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, and even neck and shoulder pain.
Carotenoids, such as lutein and zeaxanthin, are bioactive compounds that impart a yellow or orange colour to various common fruits and vegetables. Possessing strong antioxidant actions, together they make up the macular pigment, which is known to protect eyes from harmful blue light, while also being able to neutralise free radicals.
Do you have any advice to support office workers?
Culinary herbs and herbal supplements can be incorporated into any office worker’s routine. Cooking with herbs and spices, such as rosemary, turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger, will add naturally found anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds to one's diet. A diet that is rich in antioxidants is not only supportive of eye health and immunity, but can also be beneficial for overall wellbeing.
In addition, I would also recommend supplementing with adaptogen herbs, such as Ashwagandha. Stressful deadlines and overexposure to screens in a busy office environment, can cause many office workers to feel overwhelmed, stressed, fatigued, and even sleep deprived. Adaptogen herbs, such as Ashwagandha, may offer a balancing action on our HPA axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis). HPA axis dysfunction can be responsible for symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, and elevated stress. Utilising adaptogen herbs, can be helpful in modulating our adrenal output for a more balanced routine.
Are there any particular dietary changes that can support office workers?
Including plenty of vegetables and fruits, which are rich in the carotenoid compounds mentioned earlier, will further support eye health and immunity. Bell peppers, carrots, mangoes, oranges, broccoli, and spinach are some of the best sources of these powerful antioxidants. Bringing a fruit snack to work and packing your lunch and dinner plate with these vegetables are easy ways to increase the much needed antioxidant status of the office worker.
If you could give nutritional advice to an office worker, what would it be?
Plan your week! Meal planning, and time allocated for meal preparation ahead of the working week, will ensure healthier choices when it comes to meal options and treats. Healthier choices will then lead to feeling more energetic and being cognitively sharper. Although these steps can seem like hard work for those who are new to meal preparation and planning, they can save you a lot of time during morning hours and lunch breaks, which in addition to the health benefits, makes for a less stressful day!
The most important tip of all, is to ensure you reflect on your choices at the end of each week. Checking in with yourself weekly to highlight any areas you may have struggled with, will help you to get back on track. One poor week is no reflection of how we feel long-term, however with no regular check-ins, weeks can turn into months, and months into years, and poor habits are difficult to break!
For more information about Rita Tarvydaita, you can contact her through her clinic email, Instagram or website.
References:
Coppeta, L., Papa, F., & Magrini, A. (2018b). Are shiftwork and indoor work related to D3 vitamin deficiency? A Systematic review of current evidences. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2018, 1–7.
Website, N. (2024b, May 23). Vitamin D. nhs.uk.
Ismailova, A., & White, J. H. (2021). Vitamin D, infections and immunity. Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders, 23(2), 265–277.
Randolph, S. A. (2017). Computer Vision Syndrome. Workplace Health & Safety, 65(7), 328.
Lem, D. W., Gierhart, D. L., & Davey, P. G. (2022). Can nutrition play a role in ameliorating digital eye strain? Nutrients, 14(19), 4005.
Jiang, T. A. (2019). Health benefits of culinary herbs and spices. Journal of AOAC International, 102(2), 395–411. 18
Chew, B. P. (1993). Role of carotenoids in the immune response. Journal of Dairy Science, 76(9), 2804–2811.
Cheah, K. L., Norhayati, M. N., Yaacob, L. H., & Rahman, R. A. (2021). Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 16(9), e0257843.
Lopresti, A. L., Smith, S. J., Malvi, H., & Kodgule, R. (2019). An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract. Medicine, 98(37), e17186.
Ismailova, A., & White, J. H. (2021). Vitamin D, infections and immunity. Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders, 23(2), 265–277.
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