Diet And Immune Function

Every aspect of immune function and host defense is dependent upon a proper supply and balance of nutrients. Severe malnutrition can cause significant alteration in immune response, but even subclinical deficits may be associated with an impaired immune response, and an increased risk of infection. Infectious diseases have accounted for more off-duty days during major wars than combat wounds or nonbattle injuries. Combined stressors may reduce the normal ability of soldiers to resist pathogens, increase their susceptibility to biological warfare agents, and reduce the effectiveness of vaccines intended to protect them. There is also a concern with the inappropriate use of dietary supplements. This book, one of a series, examines the impact of various types of stressors and the role of specific dietary nutrients in maintaining immune function of military personnel in the field. It reviews the impact of compromised nutrition status on immune function; the interaction of health, exercise, and stress (both physical and psychological) in immune function; and the role of nutritional supplements and newer biotechnology methods reported to enhance immune function. The first part of the book contains the committee's workshop summary and evaluation of ongoing research by Army scientists on immune status in special forces troops, responses to the Army's questions, conclusions, and recommendations. The rest of the book contains papers contributed by workshop speakers, grouped under such broad topics as an introduction to what is known about immune function, the assessment of immune function, the effect of nutrition, and the relation between the many and varied stresses encountered by military personnel and their effect on health.

Supporting initiation, development and resolution of appropriate immune responses is key to survival. Many nutrients and dietary components have been purported to have a role in supporting optimal immune function. This is vital throughout the life course, from the development and programming of the immune system in early life, to supporting immunity and reducing chronic inflammation in older people. In this special issue of Nutrients, we examine the evidence for the role of diet and dietary components in promoting protective immunity.

This text provides a review of the roles of specific nutrients in maintaining the immune response and host protection against infection. It also considers the influence of various factors, such as exercise and ageing, on the interaction between nutrition and immune function.

Dietary Components and Immune Function focuses on immune modulation, immune mediated disease resistance, immune changes due to AIDS, immune modulated cancer therapy, and autoimmune diseases as modified by dietary supplement, bioactive foods and supplements. The potential value of such approaches in maintaining wellness and preventing disease are addressed by examining their effects in vitro and in vivo on innate and adaptive immune responses. Emerging fields of science and important discoveries relating to early stages of new nutriceuticals in cancer prevention, prior to clinical trials are also covered. This volume represents a single source of material related to nutriceuticals and their constituents as they relate to cancer therapy and prevention. As such the book will be essential reading for nutritionists, pharmacologists, health care professionals, research scientists, cancer workers, pathologists, molecular or cellular biochemists, physicians, general practitioners as well as those interested in diet and nutrition in disease resistance via immune regulation.

This volume provides readers with a systematic assessment of current literature on the link between nutrition and immunity. Chapters cover immunonutrition topics such as child development, cancer, aging, allergic asthma, food intolerance, obesity, and chronic critical illness. It also presents a thorough review of microflora of the gut and the essential role it plays in regulating the balance between immune tolerance and inflammation. Written by experts in the field, Nutrition and Immunity helps readers to further understand the importance of healthy dietary patterns in relation to providing immunity against disorders and offering readily available immunonutritional programming in clinical care. It will be a valuable resource for dietitians, immunologists, endocrinologists and other healthcare professionals.

Leading international researchers and clinicians comprehensively review in detail what is known about the ability of diet to enhance human immune function in health, disease, and under various condition of stress. The authors offer state-of-the-art critical appraisals of the influences on the human immune system of several important vitamins and minerals both singly and in combination. The authors also examine how nutrition modulates immune function in various disease states and under three forms of stress-vigorous exercise, military conditions, and air pollution. A much-needed overview of the nutritional consequences of drug-disease interactions provides recommendations for potential nutritional interventions that could increase drug efficacy and/or reduce adverse side effects. "Conclusions" and "Take Home Messages" at the end of each chapter give physicians clinical instructions about special diets and dietary components for many immune-related disease states.

This book was written to provide a thorough overview of clinical nutrition and immunology to allow the reader to become knowledgeable in this evolving and complex area of medicine. The reader, whether a clinician, student, teacher, or researcher, will find this book comprehensive and up to date.The disease-specific chapters have been written to focus attention on novel approaches to nutrient-immune system interactions that affect specific diseases. This includes the identification of immunologic actions that can be influenced by nutrition. Specific nutrient chapters were written by experienced investigators to provide the reader with an understanding of the current role of nutrients in the immune system with both clinical and research applications. Throughout the book, the authors actively emphasize new frontiers for research and practical use of new findings in the fields of nutritional medicine and nutritional pharmacology.

Both nutrition deficiency and overnutrition can have a significant effect on the risk of infection. Nutrition, Immunity, and Infection focuses on the influence of diet on the immune system and how altering one’s diet helps prevent and treat infections and chronic diseases. This book reviews basic immunology and discusses changes in immune function throughout the life course. It features comprehensive chapters on obesity and the role of immune cells in adipose tissue; undernutrition and malnutrition; infant immune maturation; pre- and probiotics; mechanisms of immune regulation by various vitamins and minerals; nutrition and the aging immune system; nutrition interactions with environmental stress; and immunity in the global health arena. Nutrition, Immunity, and Infection describes the various roles of nutrients and other food constituents on immune function, host defense, and resistance to infection. It describes the impact of infection on nutritional status through a translational approach. Chapters bring together molecular, cellular, and experimental studies alongside human trials so that readers can assess both the evidence for the effects of the food component being discussed and the mechanisms underlying those effects. The impact of specific conditions including obesity, anorexia nervosa, and HIV infection is also considered. Chapter authors are experts in nutrition, immunity, and infection from all around the globe, including Europe, Australia, Brazil, India, and the United States. This book is a valuable resource for nutrition scientists, food scientists, dietitians, health practitioners, and students interested in nutrition and immunity.