Zinc, a vital nutrient, plays important roles in growth and development, immune response, reproduction, and neurological function.

This mineral may benefit age-related degenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. 

Zinc deficiency appears to play an important role in the onset of many illnesses, including autoimmune diseases. Research has also found an association between low zinc levels in the blood and depression.

Who Is at Risk for Zinc Deficiency?

Zinc cannot be stored in the body in significant amounts so you must obtain it regularly through food or supplementation. In developed countries, zinc deficiency may occur in the elderly, vegans, pregnant and lactating women, and those with alcohol dependency. People with sickle cell disease or chronic gastrointestinal disorders (such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease) may also be at risk.

Symptoms of Zinc Deficiency

Common symptoms of zinc deficiency include unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, hair loss, frequent colds, white spots on fingernails, and wounds that don't heal well. People suffering from zinc deficiency may also notice a reduced ability to taste or smell food.

How to Get Enough Zinc

Common in cold lozenges and remedies, zinc occurs naturally in certain foods like fish, red meat, oysters, cashews, and yogurt. 

This trace mineral is almost always found in multivitamin/mineral dietary supplements. Multiple forms of zinc are available, including zinc sulfate, zinc acetate, and zinc gluconate. 

There’s no nice way to say it—life can be stressful. This is especially true during the holidays.

While most of us look forward to celebrating with friends and family, the festivities can compound our stress. Here are some helpful ways to get back to feeling merry and bright.

Stress-Busting Basics

During this busy time of year, it’s easy to rely on junk-food snacks to keep you going, which will make you feel worse. Instead choose healthy, stress-busting foods like avocado, blueberries, dark chocolate, and pistachios.

Making time to exercise regularly, even with a hectic schedule, is a great way to reduce stress. Find something physical you like to do, and work it into your routine. Exercise works best for stress relief when done regularly.

Nourishing Nutrients

Nutritional deficiencies can make stress symptoms worse. If your diet has been less than ideal, supplements can help.

Vitamin A has antioxidant properties that may help control feelings of stress. B-complex vitamins boost nervous system health. Vitamin C helps reduce feelings of anxiety caused by oxidative damage. Vitamin D deficiency can make it harder for your body to absorb other vitamins, and intensify feelings of stress.

Mineral Magic

Magnesium deficiency can make it harder for the body to respond to stress. In turn, stress tends to deplete magnesium resources, creating a feedback loop of compounding stress. Most Americans don’t get enough of this mineral through their diets, so consider a magnesium supplement.

Relaxing Herbs

Stress can make it hard to sleep. If you’re suffering from stress-related insomnia, consider herbs such as valerian root. Take a time-out with a cup of chamomile tea to reduce anxiety, kava tea to help you relax, or tulsi tea to balance cortisol levels and relieve stress.

Every winter, many of us worry about catching a cold or flu. But with added concerns related to the COVID and RSV, people are thinking about preventive health more than ever.

Luckily, you can fend off cold, flu or other illnesses by living a healthy lifestyle and embracing immune-boosting foods and supplements.

Below, you’ll find a list of herbs, vitamins, and even a few delicious snacks that can naturally improve immunity.

Herbs and Supplements for Immunity

• Maitake Mushroom Extract

  Researchers studying stress's potential to reduce the immune system's ability to fight infection found that an extract of maitake mushroom stimulated phagocytes, white blood cells that target bacteria.

  A combination of extracts of maitake and the Ayurvedic herb ashwagandha proved even more effective at reducing stress and boosting immunity.

• Olive Leaf

  Olive leaf fights bacteria and viruses, and helps defend against colds and flu.

  Research suggests olive leaf's compounds can modulate the body's inflammatory response and promote peak immune system performance.

• Probiotics

  Gut-friendly bacteria are needed not only for a healthy digestive system but also for a robust immune system.

  Probiotics can be taken supplementally, or eat unsweetened yogurt with live cultures or drink kefir several times a week.

  Other cultured or fermented foods offer beneficial bacteria too.

• Vitamin C, D, and E

  The immune system requires C to function, and D and E support immunity.

  Vitamin C aids the production of anti-stress hormones and immune system proteins, and stimulates production of infection-fighting white blood cells.

• Zinc

  An essential mineral that promotes healthy immunity, zinc is found in every cell. Following zinc depletion, all kinds of immune cells show decreased function.

  Women need 8 milligrams (mg) of zinc a day and men need 11 mg. Pregnant or breastfeeding women need a bit more.

  If you feel yourself getting sick, lozenges containing zinc may help speed recovery from the common cold.

Immune-Boosting Foods

• Almonds

  Not only are almonds a delicious part of many meals and treats, but they also provide an all-natural dose of vitamin E that can support your body’s overall immune function.

• Elderberry

  Available as a supplement, elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is antioxidant-rich and contains vitamin C, a known immune booster. 

  Research indicates that elderberries may help prevent flu viruses from taking hold. If you do get sick, evidence shows that this herb with help you recover more quickly. It seems to work best when taken early in an infection.

  In her book, Herbs for Children's Health, world-renowned herbal educator Rosemary Gladstar says elderberries combined with echinacea "make a perfect immune-stimulating cold remedy for everyone in the family, including the youngest of children."

• Garlic

  That strong flavor comes from sulfur, which fights viruses and gives your immune system a healthy boost.

  Garlic enhances immune function to protect against infection and contains other substances (vitamin C, zinc) that support immune response.

• Green Tea

  This superfood offers impressive health benefits including immune support, according to research.

  Sipping tea is a good way to lower stress and relax, but you can also take this as a supplement.

• Oranges

  Oranges and other citrus fruits pack plenty of vitamin C, which helps fight infections.

• Salmon

  Salmon is a great source of vitamin D, which enhances cells that battle viruses.

  Salmon is also a terrific source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can boost brain and overall health.

• Yogurt

  Yogurt is a delicious snack or side that goes with many healthy foods.

  It’s also packed with immunity-boosting probiotic bacteria.

Adding Immune-Boosters to Your Diet

Incorporating nutritious foods and supplements doesn’t need to be hard. In fact, there are a handful of recipes that will help you do this naturally. Here’s one great example of a quick and yummy salmon dish.

For more on how to live a lifestyle that promotes immunity, check out this article for a plethora of healthy tips.

Fruits and vegetables are known to lower the risk of death from heart disease and certain cancers. For example, research shows that eating higher levels of cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli and Brussels sprouts, as well as yellow/orange veggies, are particularly useful against breast cancer. And new research shows that eating those foods at certain meals may make the benefits even greater. 

• Eating a Western-style lunch (typically containing refined grains, cheese, cured meat) was associated with a 44 percent increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD). 
• Eating a fruit-based lunch was associated with a 34 percent reduced risk of CVD death.
• Eating a vegetable-based dinner was associated with a 23 percent reduction in CVD death and a 31 percent reduction in all-cause mortality.
• Consuming a snack high in starch after any meal was associated with a 50 percent increased risk of all-cause mortality and a similar increased risk in CVD-related death. 

Lowering Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

Need another reason to eat more produce? Colorful fruits and vegetables deliver fiber and protective plant compounds that help regulate blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity. In one Swedish study that followed people for two decades, those who consistently ate the most fruits and vegetables had about a 7 to 10 percent lower chance of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Where Do You Rate with Your Fruit & Vegetable Intake?

How many US adults meet the daily recommendations for vegetable intake? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only 9 percent. We do only a little better with fruit, with about 12 percent making the grade.

When choosing which fruits to eat, consider fiber-rich, nonstarchy options like apples and pears. These fruits may prevent blood sugar spikes and also promote weight loss.

Just How Many Fruits and Vegetables Should You be Eating Daily?   

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that adults should eat 2 cups of fruit per day and 2.5 cups of vegetables.

Perimenopause is a natural process, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. It can bring uncomfortable changes, such as hot flashes, mood changes, and night sweats.

This phase, which can start anywhere from your mid-30s to your mid-40s and last from two to 10 years, is the body’s way of preparing for menopause—the point when menstruation permanently stops. While this transition is normal, the symptoms can feel anything but.

During perimenopause, estrogen levels fluctuate dramatically. When estrogen is high, you might feel like you have PMS all over again.

And when it’s low? That’s when hot flashes and night sweats strike. No two women experience perimenopause the same way. However, homeopathy can offer support and symptom relief.

What Is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy is a therapeutic method that has been used for over 200 years and follows the principle of “like cures like.” This means that the active ingredients—microdoses of plants, animals, and minerals—relieve the same symptoms they cause at full strength.

For example, drinking too much coffee can cause jitters, but a microdose of the coffee bean helps relieve nervousness.

Homeopathic medicines work with the body to relieve symptoms instead of masking them. They can be used alongside other medications, herbs, and supplements, and are a great first line of defense when taken at the first sign of symptoms.

Some of the most well-known homeopathic remedies that target perimenopause symptoms are

• Glonoinum eases sudden hot flashes and headaches.
• Sepia provides relief of bloating and lower back pain during menstruation.
• Cimicifuga racemosa reduces menstrual cramps improved by lying down.
• Murex purpurea relieves PMS with mood changes.
• Lachesis mutus relieves hot flashes associated with menopause.

Protein builds muscle, but it also helps regulate appetite and, according to research, plays a part in managing weight.

Around middle age, muscle mass begins to decline, and frailty (known as sarcopenia) may result. To combat it, consume sufficient protein for the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells.

One-third of adults over 60 don’t get enough protein, according to some estimates. And those who exercise regularly need protein to maintain muscle mass and for post-workout repair and recovery. 

If daily intake is too low, the body acquires amino acids (the building blocks of protein) from your muscles. Multiply your weight by 0.4 for an estimate of your daily protein requirement in grams. For athletes, a rule of thumb is about one gram of protein for every pound of body weight per day.

Why Supplement with Proteins?

While getting protein via a balanced diet is recommended, some people don’t eat animal proteins; others want to avoid the saturated fat and cholesterol found in some protein sources; and still others like the convenience and concentration of protein powders, which are often fortified with additional nutrients. 

Vegan protein powders made from peas, hemp, and rice are available. Hemp protein powder, for example, is a plant source of complete protein, meaning it contains the right number and balance of essential amino acids. It also offers a heart-healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. 

Vegan protein bars are another great convenient way to get more protein into your life.

After you’ve selected the nutritional profile and ingredients you prefer, look for other signs of quality and purity. Then taste-test products to find your favorite. Some people mix their powder with water and drink as is; others add it to smoothies with yogurt or juice. Toss in bananas, berries, cinnamon, or other healthy treats.

Benefits of Hemp Protein

If you choose hemp protein powder, you will gain additional health benefits in addition to the approximately 15 grams of protein per serving.

• Antioxidant and Antiinflammatory

  Made from crushed hemp seeds, the resulting powder is rich in fiber (about 7 to 8 grams per serving) and antioxidants. Studies have shown that hemp protein products can help ease chronic inflammation.

• Better Hair, Nails, and Skin

  Hemp easily penetrates hair, skin, and nail fibers. People who take hemp oil routinely comment on their thicker, shinier hair, softer skin, and stronger nails.

  Scientists who studied the effects of hemp seed oil on patients with atopic dermatitis (eczema) reported “a remarkable reduction in dryness, itching, and an overall improvement in symptoms.”