The Long Reach of Maternal Nutrition: Mediterranean Diet and Pediatric Immune Health

Read time: 4 minutes Maternal nutrition has long been understood as central to fetal growth and pregnancy outcomes. Increasingly, however, it is recognized as a determinant of long-term pediatric health. The intrauterine environment—shaped by maternal diet, lifestyle, and metabolic status—acts as an early regulator of immune system development, metabolic programming, and microbial tolerance. Traditionally, prenatal […]

Zinc and the Brain: A Nutritional Key to Inflammation and Autism Risk?

Read time: 3 minutes Astrocytes—once considered mere support cells in the brain—are now emerging as major players in neurodevelopment and inflammation. A new study uncovers how zinc, an essential trace mineral, helps regulate astrocyte activity via the PAF receptor pathway. Could zinc deficiency during development silently tip the scales toward autism and other brain-based disorders? […]