Nutrition and immunity: I. Basic considerations. II. Practical applications.
Nutrition, immunity and infection are intricately linked to one another. Nutritional deficiencies and excesses influence various components of the immune system. Early studies investigating the association between nutrition and immunity focused on generalized protein-energy malnutrition, particularly in children in developing countries. The extent of immunological impairment depends not only on the severity of malnutrition but on the presence of infection and on the age of onset of nutritional deprivation, among other factors. In industrialized nations, immune function has been shown to be comprised in many malnourished hospitalized patients, small-for-gestational-age infants and the elderly. Obesity also may adversely influence immune function. Imbalances of single nutrients are relatively uncommon in humans and investigations of protein and amino acids and specific vitamins, minerals and trace elements generally are carried out in experimental animals. Deficiencies of protein and some amino acids, as well as vitamins A, E, B6 and folate, and trace minerals are associated with reduced immunocompetence. In contrast, excessive intake of fat, in particular polyunsaturated fatty acids, iron and vitamin E are immunosuppressive. Knowledge regarding nutritional regulation of immunity is leading to many practical applications.
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D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity; D007239:Infections; D009748:Nutrition Disorders; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena