Deficiency of the trace element zinc is rare in the United States, although up to 45 percent of people 60 years and older have inadequate zinc intake. People who consume alcohol or follow a vegetarian diet might require more zinc.…
While exercise usually supports health, extreme exercise can be detrimental to the immune system in some instances. Studies suggest that people performing moderate endurance exercise experience fewer respiratory illnesses, while athletes performing intense endurance exercise of longer than two hours…
Increasing evidence suggests that the microbiota, the diverse population of bacteria harbored by the human body, plays a key role in immunity. Many studies suggest that short-chain fatty acids derived from the gut microbiota promote the expansion of T-regulatory cells,…
Genetics plays a significant role in immunity along with non-heritable factors, including nutrition and activity level. Individual variations in genes, known as single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs, might influence how a person responds to a viral infection. Various SNPs impact…