Ward off fall viruses

Heading out on hayrides, going leaf-peeping, preparing for trick-or-treaters—there's so much we love about fall. But dips in temperature and humidity this time of year can cause respiratory viruses such as colds, flu and COVID to spread more easily, a report in the journal The Science of the Total Environment suggests. Fortunately, these strategies increase your immune system's antiviral armor so you can enjoy the season to the fullest

- Melissa Gotthardt

Dip apples in peanut butter

Just 2 Tbs. of the tasty treat delivers 49 mg of magnesium. That's key since the mineral is crucial for optimal function of virus-fighting T cells and natural killer cells, say experts at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. And in a Frontiers in Nutrition study, people whose diets were high in magnesium were 68% less likely to suffer from COVID complications than their low-magnesium counterparts. Other foods that pack a payload of magnesium: peanuts, almonds, cashews, potatoes and pumpkin seeds.

Pretty up your front porch