Nutrition, Immunity, and Infection

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.

Innate immunity – an overview. Cell-mediated immunity – an overview. The gut-associated lymphoid system. The role of the immune system in nutrition-related lifestyle diseases. Obesity, immunity, and infection. Role of immune cells in adipose tissue. Influence of infection and inflammation on nutrient status. Undernutrition, infection, and poor growth in infants and children. The thymus as a window on malnutrition. Immunity in anorexia. Breast milk and infant immune maturation. Interactions between probiotic bacteria and gut-associated lymphoid tissue. Prebiotics, probiotics, and response to vaccination. Prebiotics, immunity, and infection in infants and children. Mechanisms of immune regulation by vitamin A. Vitamin A, immunity, and infection in children. Vitamin C and infectious disease. Vitamin D and antimicrobial immunity. Vitamin D and control of autoimmunity. Vitamin E and T cell function. Iron, immunity, and infection. Selenium and the immune response. Zinc regulation of the immune response. Short chain fatty acids, G-protein coupled receptors and immune cells. Omega-3 fatty acids and T cell responses. Novel immunoregulatory mediators produced from omega-3 fatty acids. Arginine and cell-mediated immunity. Nitric oxide and the immune system. Glutamine and the immune system. Glutathione, immunity, and infection. Nucleotides and the immune system. Gangliosides and immune maturation. Plant phenolics and immunity. Immunomodulatory effects of beta-glucans from fungi. AHCC and immune responses. Immunoenhancing formulas for hospitalized patients. Nutrition and the aging immune system. Nutrition interaction with environmental stress and immunity. AHCC and autoimmune Sjogren’s disease. Nutrition and immunity in the global health arena.