Immunity

Vitamin C is one of the most common nutrients that comes to mind when thinking about immune health.  It is a water-soluble vitamin that serves as a cellular antioxidant, which means it protects cells from reactive oxygen species and cellular damage 1.  By protecting both skin barriers and immune cells from damage, vitamin C enables… Read more »

The Gut Microbiota The ‘gut microbiota’ refers to the microorganisms (which may include bacteria, fungi and viruses) living in our intestines and they play a vital role in gut health and the management of several gastrointestinal disorders.  The term ‘microbiome’ refers to both microorganisms along with their collective genomes and metabolites (the molecules they produce)… Read more »

Almost 100 years ago when childhood mortality due to infectious disease was high, Dr. Carl Naslund noticed that Swedish children who received a tuberculosis vaccine not only were protected from tuberculosis but were three times less likely to succumb to any disease compared with children who were not vaccinated. Decades later, this observation was noticed… Read more »

The Elderberry Market In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘natural’ proactive and immune health solutions have been highlighted as a growing area of consumer interest, with over half of global consumers outlining a willingness to use supplements if they had a greater understanding about the ingredients those supplements contain (1).  As consumers continue to… Read more »

Author(s): Sonja Nodland, PhD

Immunomodulators often come up in online searches about immunity’s link with food and nutrition, but what are they? In this article, Sonja Nodland, PhD provides examples of immunomodulators found in food and describes the science of how they work.

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Yasuo Watanabe to our Scientific Advisory Council. Read a Q&A with Dr. Watanabe in this article – from the link between mind and body health and the importance of sleep, to the importance of taste and the health benefits of turmeric, kelp, tea catechins and botanical extracts, Dr. Watanabe has a unique expertise and insight on the functional health benefits of food.

Author(s): Maria Marco, PhD

Many people are familiar with probiotics and the health benefits they can have, like digestive health and immunity, but how do they actually work in the body to cause a health benefit? Some interact with other microorganisms in our microbiome, while others interact directly with the body’s organs.