healthy eating for healthy aging

immune function

Should you be taking zinc?

Should you be taking zinc?

Zinc has been getting a lot of publicity lately, thanks to our understandable obsession with immune function. The human immune system is extremely complex, but one thing is clear: immune function depends on several key nutrients, one of which is zinc. When your immune system 

Immune-critical nutrient check list

Immune-critical nutrient check list

‘Tis the season: for colds, flu and other respiratory infections. Viruses cause most of those but strep throat — caused by bacteria — is also making the rounds. What can you do? When it comes to immune function, be proactive. Support your immune system by 

21st Century impact on vitamin D status

21st Century impact on vitamin D status

Strictly speaking, vitamin D isn’t a vitamin at all. It’s more of a hormone, produced in skin cells exposed to UVB rays of sunlight. The form that’s produced in skin cells is metabolized to an active form by the liver and kidneys. Not just for 

Vitamin C deficiency in the 21st Century?

Vitamin C deficiency in the 21st Century?

I recently listened to a webinar about nutrition for surgery patients. The speaker — a fellow Registered Dietitian Nutritionist — has years of experience evaluating surgical patients’ nutritional status. This evaluation is important, because several nutrients are essential for wound healing. Successful recovery from surgery 

Should you be taking vitamin C?

Should you be taking vitamin C?

In this time of increased concern about immunity, our thoughts turn to … megadoses of vitamin C? True, vitamin C — ascorbic acid — does play a critical role in immune function. Can megadoses boost immunity? Until around 1970, vitamin C was just another vitamin, 

Immunity, aging and nutrition

Immunity, aging and nutrition

Immunity has been a hot topic for almost 2 years, for obvious reasons. Strangely, the link between immune function and nutrition is not front-and-center. It should be. Without nutrients, you don’t have a functioning immune system. To make matters worse, immune function deteriorates as we