Ask the pros: Natural immunity support

  1. Nutraceutical values of natural honey and its contribution to human health and wealth. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2012; 9: 61. Published online 2012 Jun 20. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-9-61
  2. Analysis of Amino Acid and Phenolic Content in Honey by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS.Honey Analysis. Submitted: May 13th, 2016 Reviewed: December 21st, 2016 Published: March 15th, 2017. DOI: 10.5772/67317
  3. Honey, Propolis, and Royal Jelly: A Comprehensive Review of Their Biological Actions and Health Benefits. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2017; 2017: 1259510. Published online 2017 Jul 26. doi: 10.1155/2017/1259510.
  4. Brudzynski K. A current perspective on hydrogen peroxide production in honey. A review. Food Chem. 2020 Dec 1;332:127229.  doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127229. Epub 2020 Jun 5. PMID: 32688187.
  5. Khan N, Mukhtar H. Tea and health: studies in humans. Curr Pharm Des. 2013;19(34):6141-7. doi: 10.2174/1381612811319340008. PMID: 23448443; PMCID: PMC4055352.
  6. Shuzhen Wang, Ting Zeng, Shuang Zhao, Yu Zhu, Changchun Feng, Jianfeng Zhan, Shiming Li, Chi-Tang Ho, Alexander Gosslau, Multifunctional health-promoting effects of oolong tea and its products, Food Science and Human Wellness, Volume 11, Issue 3, 2022, Pages 512-523, ISSN 2213-4530, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2021.12.009.
  7. Srivastava JK, Shankar E, Gupta S. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Mol Med Rep. 2010 Nov 1;3(6):895-901. doi: 10.3892/mmr.2010.377. PMID: 21132119; PMCID: PMC2995283.
  8. Cobos Á, Díaz O. ‘Superfoods’: Reliability of the Information for Consumers Available on the Web. Foods. 2023 Jan 26;12(3):546. doi: 10.3390/foods12030546. PMID: 36766074; PMCID: PMC9914617.
  9. Vora A, Kalra S, Thakor P, Malve H, Chamle V, Patil A. Connecting the Dots: Hydration, Micronutrients, and Immunity. J Assoc Physicians India. 2024 Jun;72(6S):25-29. doi: 10.59556/japi.72.0546. PMID: 38932732.
  10. Liao S, Padera TP. Lymphatic function and immune regulation in health and disease. Lymphat Res Biol. 2013 Sep;11(3):136-43. doi: 10.1089/lrb.2013.0012. Epub 2013 Sep 11. PMID: 24024577; PMCID: PMC3780287.
  11. Kensuke Sato, Mariko Hara-Chikuma, Masato Yasui, Joe Inoue, Yun-Gi Kim, Sufficient water intake maintains the gut microbiota and immune homeostasis and promotes pathogen elimination, iScience, Volume 27, Issue 6, 2024, 109903, ISSN 2589-0042, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.109903.

Kitchen hacks your waistline will love

  1. Wansink B, Hanks AS, Kaipainen K. Slim by Design: Kitchen Counter Correlates of Obesity. Health Educ Behav. 2016 Oct;43(5):552-8. doi: 10.1177/1090198115610571. Epub 2015 Oct 19. PMID: 26481966.
  2. David Sharp, Jeffery Sobal, Elaine Wethington; Do adults draw differently-sized meals on larger or smaller plates? Examining plate size in a community sample, Food Quality and Preference, Volume 74, 2019, Pages 72-77, ISSN 0950-3293, HYPERLINK “https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2019.01.012”https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2019.01.012.
  3. Wansink B, van Ittersum K, Payne CR. Larger bowl size increases the amount of cereal children request, consume, and waste. J Pediatr. 2014 Feb;164(2):323-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.09.036. Epub 2013 Nov 16. PMID: 24252795.

Getting the plant-based protein basics right

  1. Papier K, Hartman L, Tong TYN, Key TJ, Knuppel A. Higher Meat Intake Is Associated with Higher Inflammatory Markers, Mostly Due to Adiposity: Results from UK Biobank. J Nutr. 2022 Jan 11;152(1):183-189. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxab314. PMID: 34587250; PMCID: PMC8754571.
  2. Douglas S Kalman., et al. “The Body Composition Effects of Extra Protein in Elite Mixed Martial Artists Undergoing Frequent Training Over a Six-Week Period”. EC Nutrition 13.6 (2018): 396-401.
  3. Moon, J.M., Ratliff, K.M., Blumkaitis, J.C. et al. Effects of daily 24-gram doses of rice or whey protein on resistance training adaptations in trained males. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 17, 60 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-020-00394-1.
  4. Perraud Elie , Wang Juhui , Salomé Marion , Huneau Jean-François , Lapidus Nathanaël , Mariotti François; Plant and Animal Protein Intakes Largely Explain the Nutritional Quality and Health Value of Diets Higher in Plants: A Path Analysis in French Adults. Frontiers in Nutrition. VOLUME 9; 2022. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.92452. DOI=10.3389/fnut.2022.924526. ISSN=2296-861X
  5. Wu G. Dietary protein intake and human health. Food Funct. 2016 Mar;7(3):1251-65. doi: 10.1039/c5fo01530h. PMID: 26797090.
  6. Campbell B, Kreider RB, Ziegenfuss T, La Bounty P, Roberts M, Burke D, Landis J, Lopez H, Antonio J. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007 Sep 26;4:8. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-4-8. PMID: 17908291; PMCID: PMC2117006.
  7. G.S. Gilani, N Lee, in Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition (Second Edition), 2003.
  8. Barr SI, Rideout CA. Nutritional considerations for vegetarian athletes. Nutrition. 2004 Jul-Aug;20(7-8):696-703. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2004.04.015. PMID: 15212753.

Supercharge your nutrition with superfood powders

  1. Cobos Á, Díaz O. ‘Superfoods’: Reliability of the Information for Consumers Available on the Web. Foods. 2023 Jan 26;12(3):546. doi: 10.3390/foods12030546. PMID: 36766074; PMCID: PMC9914617.
  2. Ana Fernández-Ríos, Jara Laso, Daniel Hoehn, et al, A critical review of superfoods from a holistic nutritional and environmental approach, Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 379, Part 1, 2022, 134491, ISSN 0959-6526, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134491.

Reclaim your energy

  1. Patil N, Rehman A, Anastasopoulou C, et al. Hypothyroidism. [Updated 2024 Feb 18]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519536/.
  2. Patil N, Rehman A, Jialal I. Hypothyroidism. In: StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing; 2020. Updated August 10, 2020. Accessed January 5, 2021. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519536

Ask the pros: Female phase training

  1. Kishali NF, Imamoglu O, Katkat D, Atan T, Akyol P. Effects of menstrual cycle on sports performance. Int J Neurosci. 2006 Dec;116(12):1549-63. doi: 10.1080/00207450600675217. PMID: 17145688.
  2. Wohlgemuth KJ, Arieta LR, Brewer GJ, Hoselton AL, Gould LM, Smith-Ryan AE. Sex differences and considerations for female specific nutritional strategies: a narrative review. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021 Apr 1;18(1):27. doi: 10.1186/s12970-021-00422-8. PMID: 33794937; PMCID: PMC8015182.
  3. Yan H, Yang W, Zhou F, Li X, Pan Q, Shen Z, Han G, Newell-Fugate A, Tian Y, Majeti R, Liu W, Xu Y, Wu C, Allred K, Allred C, Sun Y, Guo S. Estrogen Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Suppresses Gluconeogenesis via the Transcription Factor Foxo1. Diabetes. 2019 Feb;68(2):291-304. doi: 10.2337/db18-0638. Epub 2018 Nov 28. PMID: 30487265; PMCID: PMC6341301.
  4. Yeung EH, Zhang C, Mumford SL, Ye A, Trevisan M, Chen L, Browne RW, Wactawski-Wende J, Schisterman EF. Longitudinal study of insulin resistance and sex hormones over the menstrual cycle: the BioCycle Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Dec;95(12):5435-42. doi: 10.1210/jc.2010-0702. Epub 2010 Sep 15. PMID: 20843950; PMCID: PMC2999972.

Build a competent immune system

  1. Mitra S, Paul S, Roy S, Sutradhar H, Bin Emran T, Nainu F, Khandaker MU, Almalki M, Wilairatana P, Mubarak MS. Exploring the Immune-Boosting Functions of Vitamins and Minerals as Nutritional Food Bioactive Compounds: A Comprehensive Review. Molecules. 2022 Jan 16;27(2):555. doi: 10.3390/molecules27020555. PMID: 35056870; PMCID: PMC8779769.
  2. He W, Hu S, Du X, Wen Q, Zhong XP, Zhou X, Zhou C, Xiong W, Gao Y, Zhang S, Wang R, Yang J, Ma L. Vitamin B5 Reduces Bacterial Growth via Regulating Innate Immunity and Adaptive Immunity in Mice Infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Front Immunol. 2018 Feb 26;9:365. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00365. PMID: 29535733; PMCID: PMC5834509.
  3. Vitamin C in the Prevention and Treatment of the Common Cold. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2016 May-Jun; 10(3): 181–183. Published online 2016 Feb 9. doi: 10.1177/1559827616629092.
  4. Vitamin D and the Immune System. J Investig Med. 2011 Aug; 59(6): 881–886. doi: 10.231/JIM.0b013e31821b8755.
  5. Regulatory role of vitamin E in the immune system and inflammation. IUBMB Life. 2019 Apr; 71(4): 487–494. Published online 2018 Nov 30. doi: 10.1002/iub.1976.
  6. Huang Z, Rose AH, Hoffmann PR. The role of selenium in inflammation and immunity: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutic opportunities. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2012 Apr 1;16(7):705-43. doi: 10.1089/ars.2011.4145. Epub 2012 Jan 9. PMID: 21955027; PMCID: PMC3277928.
  7. Steven M Wood, Carla Beckham, Ayako Yosioka, Hamid Darban, Ronald R Watson, β-Carotene and selenium supplementation enhances immune response in aged humans, Integrative Medicine, Volume 2, Issues 2–3, 2000, Pages 85-92, ISSN 1096-2190, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-2190(00)00009-3.
  8. Mantle D, Heaton RA, Hargreaves IP. Coenzyme Q10 and Immune Function: An Overview. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 May 11;10(5):759. doi: 10.3390/antiox10050759. PMID: 34064686; PMCID: PMC8150987.
  9. Cherayil BJ. Iron and immunity: immunological consequences of iron deficiency and overload. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz). 2010 Dec;58(6):407-15. doi: 10.1007/s00005-010-0095-9. Epub 2010 Sep 28. PMID: 20878249; PMCID: PMC3173740.
  10. Mehta AK, Singh BP, Arora N, Gaur SN. Choline attenuates immune inflammation and suppresses oxidative stress in patients with asthma. Immunobiology. 2010 Jul;215(7):527-34. doi: 10.1016/j.imbio.2009.09.004. Epub 2009 Nov 7. PMID: 19897276.
  11. Talebi SS, Ghasemi M, Etminani-Esfahani M, Mohammadi Y, Haddadi R. Effects of L-carnitine supplementation in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 disease: a pilot study. Pharmacol Rep. 2022 Dec;74(6):1296-1305. doi: 10.1007/s43440-022-00402-y. Epub 2022 Aug 23. PMID: 35997951; PMCID: PMC9395946.
  12. Shankar AH, Prasad AS. Zinc and immune function: the biological basis of altered resistance to infection. Am J Clin Nutr. 1998 Aug;68(2 Suppl):447S-463S. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/68.2.447S. PMID: 9701160.

Creatine and menopause

  1. Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, Candow DG, Kleiner SM, Almada AL, Lopez HL. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017 Jun 13;14:18. doi: 10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z. PMID: 28615996; PMCID: PMC5469049.
  2. Smith-Ryan AE, Cabre HE, Eckerson JM, Candow DG. Creatine Supplementation in Women’s Health: A Lifespan Perspective. Nutrients. 2021 Mar 8;13(3):877. doi: 10.3390/nu13030877. PMID: 33800439; PMCID: PMC7998865.
  3. Santoro N, Epperson CN, Mathews SB. Menopausal Symptoms and Their Management. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2015 Sep;44(3):497-515. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2015.05.001. PMID: 26316239; PMCID: PMC4890704.
  4. Volpi E, Nazemi R, Fujita S. Muscle tissue changes with aging. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2004 Jul;7(4):405-10. doi: 10.1097/01.mco.0000134362.76653.b2. PMID: 15192443; PMCID: PMC2804956.
  5. Myoprotective Potential of Creatine Is Greater than Whey Protein after Chemically-Induced Damage in Rat Skeletal Muscle. Nutrients. 2018 May; 10(5): 553. Published online 2018 Apr 30. doi: 10.3390/nu10050553.
  6. Creatine and Phosphocreatine: A Review of Their Use in Exercise and Sport. J Athl Train. 1997 Jan-Mar; 32(1): 45–51.

Fight the fibre deficit

  1. Hornick, Betsy MS, RD; Liska, DeAnn PhD; Dolven, Cheryl MS, RD; Wrick, Kathie L. PhD, RD. The Fiber Deficit, Part I: Whole Grain Contributions to Health and Fiber Intakes. Nutrition Today 46(6):p 293-298, November/December 2011. | DOI: 10.1097/NT.0b013e318239635f.
  2. Seljak BK, Valenčič E, Hristov H, Hribar M, Lavriša Ž, Kušar A, Žmitek K, Krušič S, Gregorič M, Blaznik U, Ferjančič B, Bertoncelj J, Korošec M, Pravst I. Inadequate Intake of Dietary Fibre in Adolescents, Adults, and Elderlies: Results of Slovenian Representative SI. Menu Study. Nutrients. 2021 Oct 27;13(11):3826. doi: 10.3390/nu13113826. PMID: 34836083; PMCID: PMC8619009.
  3. Li Q, Holford TR, Zhang Y, Boyle P, Mayne ST, Dai M, Zheng T. Dietary fiber intake and risk of breast cancer by menopausal and estrogen receptor status. Eur J Nutr. 2013 Feb;52(1):217-23. doi: 10.1007/s00394-012-0305-9. Epub 2012 Feb 16. PMID: 22350922; PMCID: PMC3709253.
  4. Carlson JL, Erickson JM, Lloyd BB, Slavin JL. Health Effects and Sources of Prebiotic Dietary Fiber. Curr Dev Nutr. 2018 Jan 29;2(3):nzy005. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzy005. PMID: 30019028; PMCID: PMC6041804.
  5. Slavin J. Fiber and prebiotics: mechanisms and health benefits. Nutrients. 2013 Apr 22;5(4):1417-35. doi: 10.3390/nu5041417. PMID: 23609775; PMCID: PMC3705355.

Don’t let ‘the change’ put your life on pause

  1. Svensen E, Koscien CP, Alamdari N, Wall BT, Stephens FB. A Novel Low-Impact Resistance Exercise Program Increases Strength and Balance in Females Irrespective of Menopause Status. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2025 Mar 1;57(3):501-513. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003586. Epub 2024 Nov 6. PMID: 39480197; PMCID: PMC11801421.
  2. Valenzano, A.A.; Vasco, P.; D’Orsi, G.; Marzovillo, R.R.R.; Torquato, M.; Messina, G.; Polito, R.; Cibelli, G. Influence of Intermittent Fasting on Body Composition, Physical Performance, and the Orexinergic System in Postmenopausal Women: A Pilot Study. Nutrients 2025, 17, 1121. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071121.

Ask the pros: The link between exercise and immunity

  1. Martin SA, Pence BD, Woods JA. Exercise and respiratory tract viral infections. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2009 Oct;37(4):157-64. doi: 10.1097/JES.0b013e3181b7b57b. PMID: 19955864; PMCID: PMC2803113.
  2. Ali, Kais; Hunt, Rebekah; Banh, Rachel; McBride, Lynnsie; Bolden, McArthur III; Laurea, Karl; and LaVoy, Emily C. (2024) “The Effects of 15 Minutes vs. 30 Minutes of Moderate Intensity Exercise on Lymphocytes, Monocytes and Granulocytes,” International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2: Iss. 16, Article 184. HYPERLINK “https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss16/184”https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss16/184.
  3. Scheffer DDL, Latini A. Exercise-induced immune system response: Anti-inflammatory status on peripheral and central organs. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2020 Oct 1;1866(10):165823. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2020.165823. Epub 2020 Apr 29. PMID: 32360589; PMCID: PMC7188661.
  4. Docherty, S., Harley, R., McAuley, J.J. et al. The effect of exercise on cytokines: implications for musculoskeletal health: a narrative review. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 14, 5 (2022). HYPERLINK “https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-022-00397-2”https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-022-00397-2.
  5. De Nys L, Anderson K, Ofosu EF, Ryde GC, Connelly J, Whittaker AC. The effects of physical activity on cortisol and sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2022 Sep;143:105843. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105843. Epub 2022 Jun 24. PMID: 35777076.
  6. Gleeson M. Immune system adaptation in elite athletes. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2006 Nov;9(6):659-65. doi: 10.1097/01.mco.0000247476.02650.18. PMID: 17053416.

Get more go from gooey gels

  1. O’Brien WJ, Rowlands DS. Fructose-maltodextrin ratio in a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution differentially affects exogenous carbohydrate oxidation rate, gut comfort, and performance. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 300(1): 181-9, 2011.
  2. Jeukendrup A. A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise. Sports Med. 2014 May;44 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S25-33. doi: 10.1007/s40279-014-0148-z. PMID: 24791914; PMCID: PMC4008807.
  3. Podlogar T, Wallis GA. New Horizons in Carbohydrate Research and Application for Endurance Athletes. Sports Med 52: 5-23, 2022

Creatine dosing strategies explained

  1. Kreider RB, Stout JR. Creatine in Health and Disease. Nutrients. 2021 Jan 29;13(2):447. doi: 10.3390/nu13020447. PMID: 33572884; PMCID: PMC7910963.
  2. Buford TW, Kreider RB, Stout JR, Greenwood M, Campbell B, Spano M, Ziegenfuss T, Lopez H, Landis J, Antonio J. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2007 Aug 30;4:6. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-4-6. PMID: 17908288; PMCID: PMC2048496.
  3. Cooke MB, Rybalka E, Stathis CG, Hayes A. Myoprotective Potential of Creatine Is Greater than Whey Protein after Chemically-Induced Damage in Rat Skeletal Muscle. Nutrients. 2018 Apr 30;10(5):553. doi: 10.3390/nu10050553. PMID: 29710855; PMCID: PMC5986433.
  4. Padilha, Camila & Cella, Paola & Salles, Leo & Deminice, Rafael. (2017). Oral creatine supplementation attenuates muscle loss caused by limb immobilization: a systematic review. Fisioterapia em Movimento. 30. 831-838. 10.1590/1980-5918.030.004.ar01.
  5. Hultman, E., Soderlund, K., Timmons, J. A., Cederblad, G., & Greenhaff, P. L. (1996). HYPERLINK “https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8828669” \t “_blank”Muscle creatine loading in men. Journal of Applied Physiology, 81(1), 232-237.