Immunity

This article explores eight essential minerals crucial for maintaining good health, detailing their roles in the body and the potential risks of deficiencies. It also provides practical advice on incorporating these vital nutrients into your diet through everyday foods and supplements.

One of the most important nutrients for your health isn’t found in food — instead, it’s made by certain bacteria in your gut if you feed them right. Short-chain fatty acids are crucial for digestive health and can fight inflammation throughout your body, as well as combat cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and type 2 diabetes. So, how can you ensure that your gut microbiome has what it needs to produce these life-giving organic compounds?

Every year, unsafe food causes 600 million cases of foodborne illness and 420,000 deaths. Ensuring food safety at home is crucial for maintaining health. Discover the safest temperatures for storing food, what kitchenware contains forever chemicals that can mess with your hormones, and how seriously you should take expiration dates. Let’s explore how to protect your health and make informed choices for a safer kitchen.

Creatine supplies energy to cells throughout your body — especially muscle cells. Many athletes take it to build muscle and improve athletic performance. But is it also good for your brain, your heart, and your immune system? Or is it a dangerous fad? Do you need to eat meat to get enough, or should you take a supplement?

Hibiscus plants adorn many of the world’s most beautiful tropical locations and gardens. With their delicate petals and vibrant colors, the flowers are a delight to behold. But hibiscus offers benefits well beyond the visual. Food and drinks made with hibiscus have been used medicinally around the world for thousands of years. So what are the proven benefits of hibiscus, and how can you get this beautiful flower into your meals and beverages?

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that prepares your body for sleep and confers many other health benefits. But melatonin levels can decrease as we age, and our modern lifestyles and schedules can interfere with melatonin production. So is supplementation safe and effective? Can we get it from food? And are there other things we can do to keep our melatonin at optimal levels?

Your favorite fruits and vegetables get their color and much of their health-boosting power from compounds called polyphenols. One of the most abundant and best-studied of these compounds is quercetin. Known for its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, quercetin may help with heart, brain, and gut health. But where can you find quercetin in food? And are food sources enough, or should you be supplementing?

Copper is one of those quiet, essential nutrients that you don’t hear much about. Without it, though, you can’t survive. And both too little, and especially too much, can damage your heart, brain, bones, skin, and immune system. So how much do you really need? What are the best sources? How easy is it to get enough on a plant-based diet? And how can you avoid copper toxicity?

The word “antioxidant” is thrown around a lot in the health and wellness space. But what does it really mean? Why are antioxidants good for you? Are there any you should avoid? And which foods and beverages pack the most beneficial antioxidant punch?

Selenium, once thought to be poisonous, is now recognized as an essential nutrient. It plays a key role in many aspects of your health, including metabolism, immunity, and protection against various diseases. But can you get too much of this nutrient? What are the best food sources of selenium, and can you get enough from a plant-based diet?

Advanced glycation end products, or AGEs, are compounds that live up to their acronym by speeding up the aging process when we consume them or synthesize them from certain foods cooked in certain ways. While AGEs are in almost all foods, some have much higher concentrations than others. And some foods and beverages can actually counteract the damage that AGEs can do to your tissues. So what are the most effective dietary strategies to slow down the aging health problems caused by AGEs?

Why are so many people talking about bone broth? Let’s explore why health enthusiasts seem to be jumping on the bandwagon, what the research says about some of the most prominent bone broth benefits and claims, and the potential downsides of participating in this popular food trend.