- With Mayo Clinic nutritionists
Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
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Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Katherine Zeratsky and Jennifer Nelson
Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., C.N.S.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor of the Food & Nutrition Center, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning."Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
A St. Paul, Minn., native, she is certified by the National Board of Nutrition Support Certification, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978, and is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 50 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many Mayo Clinic books, including "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody," "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook." She contributes to the strategic direction of the Food & Nutrition Center, which includes creating recipes and menus, reviewing nutrition content of various articles, and answering nutrition questions posed to Ask a Specialist.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Nutrition-wise blog
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Oct. 31, 2009
Flu fighters — Can diet enhance immunity?
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Wash your hands. Get your flu shot. What else can you do to keep yourself well during the flu season? What role does your diet play in flu prevention and treatment? I did some research...
Searching the literature about diet and immunity, I was struck by how much of the research focused not on foods per se but on single compounds — specific vitamins, minerals or other bioactive substances. You've undoubtedly heard of some of these: antioxidants, phytochemicals and flavinoids. Extracting such compounds and studying them at specific concentrations allows for more controlled testing. But what if there are other bioactive compounds in the whole food that play an important role? Or what if it is the combination of bioactive compounds in the whole food that provide the most benefit?
In other words, if you want to prevent or suppress illness, such as the flu, are you better off taking a pill or eating healthy foods? My vote is for the latter. I'll boost my immune system by enjoying the whole beautiful purple eggplant, crisp apple, rich red pomegranate, plump grapes, fragrant garlic, juicy citrus fruit and a bit of that lovely bittersweet dark chocolate.
How will you fend off the flu?
- Katherine
9 comments posted
- Amagase H. Clarifying the real bioactive constituents of garlic. Journal of Nutrition. 2006;136:716S.
- Boon A, et al. In vitro effect of bioactive compounds on influenza virus specific B- and T-cell responses. Scandinavian Journal of Immunology. 2002;55(1):24.
- Percival S. Grape consumption supports immunity in animals and humans. Journal of Nutrition. 2009;139(9):1801S.
9 comments posted