The team conducted the investigation in order to explore the idea that fruits and vegetables lose some of their vitamin content as they are chopped, boiled and prepared. Individuals who are concerned that their dishes don't contain enough vital nutrients may consider taking dietary supplements or a daily multivitamin.

If you insist on eating your gazpacho, how can you ensure that it contains the most anxtioxidants and nutrients that it possibly can? The group said that, besides eating the soup immediately, you can try "preserving it correctly so that the vegetables maintain their antioxidant characteristics."

What good is the vitamin C found in gazpacho and vitamin supplements? It helps maintain cellular health, keeps cartilage and bones healthy, prevents oxidative damage and neutralizes free radicals, according to the National Institutes of Health. 

Researchers at Australia’s Monash University have announced that they are working on a vaccination that, if successful, would prevent children and adults from developing asthma from dust mite allergies.

While they have not revealed what exactly has gone into this reportedly groundbreaking inoculation, scientists said that such an innovation could drastically reduce public healthcare costs.

Typical therapies for dust mite-related respiratory concerns involve taking weekly shots for several years. The new vaccination would work after only one shot—for people who do not already have asthma, anyway.

That said, there is no word on when this option will be available. In the meantime, 17.5 million American adults have a need to support respiratory health, as do 7.1 million children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Staying well-fed, taking a daily dietary supplement, avoiding dusty areas, and regularly cleaning away pet dander may contribute to good respiratory health.

This announcement was made shortly before World Malaria Day, which falls on April 25th. Scientists said that the search for natural remedies for malaria, which is a particularly devastating disease in underdeveloped countries, is being stifled by the endangerment of many African plant species.

Malaria takes an estimated 800,000 lives each year, most of them on the African continent. Many malaria victims are children under age 5, and the research group said that preserving and studying these valuable plants may work to the world's advantage.

Many plants contain disease-fighting properties. The bark of the South American cinchona can be used to make quinine, a compound that was once the preferred antimalarial in the world. Salicylic acid taken from willow bark was first used to synthesize aspirin.

Individuals who want to maintain good health and well-being may consider taking herbal supplements with a daily multivitamin.

Research published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found that a specific protein called Slc23a1 may regulate the ability of a newborn's kidneys to absorb the nutrient. Having adequate levels of vitamin C during pregnancy can ensure that a number of bodily systems run smoothly.

Laboratory animals that lacked Slc23a1 lost up to 70 percent of their daily level of vitamin C through their urine, although their bodies compensated for some of this loss by synthesizing the nutrient.

Researchers concluded that further inquiry should be made into the roles of Slc23a1 and vitamin C in perinatal kidney health.

For adults who want to maintain their vitamin levels across the board, taking a dietary supplement can be an effective way to ensure that the body gets 100 percent of the vitamin C it needs each day.

A study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine found that an organic molecule called sulfurophane can open up the body's Nrf2 pathway, which is a protein transcription factor that controls cellular response to oxidative stress.

The study's authors noted that patients with COPD often displayed poor white blood cell activity in their lungs. After examining these cells closely, they noted that the immune bodies' ability to consume invading bacteria seemed to be compromised by free radical damage.

Sulfurophane, which can be found in broccoli, appeared to activate the cells' Nrf2 pathway, increasing their ability to consume and remove harmful pathogens. The team noted that this finding may provide a link between diet and pulmonary disease.

Individuals who eat broccoli or consume dietary supplements containing sulfurophane may contribute to their immune response and increase feelings of health and wellness.

A study published in the journal Toxicological Sciences found that caramel color, a food additive used in countless products, reduces the amount of immune lymphocytes in the blood of laboratory rodents.

To reach this conclusion, Dutch researchers fed mice a diet containing caramel additive color III—a particular form of the coloring agent—for a month. Afterward, they measured their immune response to Trichinella spiralis, a protozoan responsible for the disease trichinosis.

Those fed the highest levels of caramel coloring experienced the largest dips in immune function.

Caramel coloring may be found in nearly any brown food or beverage, including chips, candy, sodas and beer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently lists it as exempt from certification, meaning it is derived from a natural source.

However, the agency adds that no food coloring can be proven to be free of health risks.

Most people may not even realize that they are deficient in key vitamins and minerals until it’s too late. In fact, new research from medical professionals indicates that increased vitamin D intake, especially in the form of vitamin D3, may contribute to improved bone strength, according to the Council.

So how can individuals help support optimal bone mineral levels and enhance their bone strength, while preventing this from becoming a continuing cause of their deteriorating health? Most experts agree that adding more vitamin D to the diet through foods and/or supplements can greatly increase the chances of improving bone strength.

Individuals who believe they may be vitamin D deficient can request blood tests that will determine how much is needed to regulate their individual levels. When it comes to vitamin D, a person shouldn’t have too much or too little in their body. “Here is a situation where getting the supplement amount ‘just right’ counts,” stated Kate Lindemann, Ph.D., a retired college professor who actually enhanced her bone density through various natural methods and supplementation.

The Council states that vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, is the most potent form of the nutrient and has strong health-promoting properties.

Your immune system is your body’s defense against infectious organisms and invaders. It’s made up of a complicated network of cells, tissues and organs that work together to protect your body. White blood cells—also called "leukocytes"—have the "pac-man" kind of ability to travel throughout your body and devour bacteria, viruses and toxins that cause disease. The more healthy white blood cells there are in your body—the stronger your immune system!

You have two basic types of leukocytes. Phagocytes are cells that chew up invading organisms. Lymphocytes are cells that allow your body to remember and recognize previous invaders and help the body destroy them.

Antibodies are specialized proteins that recognize and trap bacteria, viruses and toxins. Once these foreign substances are "tagged," your body’s T cells—also called "killer cells"—can easily destroy them.

So why do we continue to get sick? Because your immune system fails to go into action fast enough and your immune system gets beaten down and worn out. This is mainly due to a poor diet… stress… environmental pollutants… overuse of prescription and over-the-counter meds… and global living resulting in overcrowding.

But there are several natural nutrients that can boost your body’s defenses to ward off allergies, colds, sinus problems, invading flu germs and more. With a powerful combination of astragalus, scute, Reishi mushroom, andrographis and isatis, you can protect your delicate immune system and fight back against your environment’s worst seasonal cold bugs.

Their results, which were published in the journal Clinical Epidemiology, suggested that vitamin E supplementation may increase or decrease the risk of the lung disease, depending on a person's lifestyle choices.

After surveying more than 29,000 adults, the team found that individuals who took a daily dose of vitamin E were almost 70 percent less likely to contract pneumonia if they exercised often and smoked rarely.

Conversely, vitamin E-taking participants who smoked the most and did not exercise were nearly 80 percent more likely to come down with the illness.

Researchers concluded that further investigation into the connection between the nutrient and lung health should be undertaken.

Vitamin E promotes immune health, helps regulate cell signalling and provides antioxidant protection from free radicals, according to the National Institutes of Health.

During the first month of the study, a team of investigators monitored the symptoms of mice with UTIs, which included animals that recovered from the infections without being treated. The team found that some of the mice had chronic bacterial cystitis. This occurs when an abnormal amount of bacteria develops in the bladder and urine, which leads to inflammation of the urinary tract.

One group of mice was administered antibiotics to treat the UTIs, and then the team exposed them to several different bacteria linked to the development of these infections.

The results of the trial showed that the group with chronic bacterial cystitis had a higher risk of developing UTIs and had more severe infection symptoms. The team also found that controlling this abnormal reaction by the immune system could improve recovery from UTIs.

For those who are looking for a natural alternative to alleviate the side effects of UTIs, a report in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research found that drinking cranberry juice can relieve pain and speed up the recovery process.