Nutrition and immunity

Abstract

The immune system has different cells producing different substances whose objective is to defend the organism against foreign bodies. The human immune system is divided into a central system (bone marrow and thymus) and a peripheral system (spleen, lymph nodes, and mucous membrane associated lymphoid tissue – MALT). This system allows all cells to work together and synchronically. Infection, trauma, malignances, and inflammatory diseases activate the immune system production of pro-inflammatory substances. These substances are produced by different cells, mainly the gutassociated lymphoid tissue (GALT), perhaps the most important component of MALT, which has a central role in this process. The related nutrition abnormalities suppress the immune system, becoming the most commonly acquired immune deficiency in human beings. Many studies have been published showing the potential benefits of nutrients (arginine, glutamine, nucleotides, carnitine, fibers, and fish oil) in modulating the immune response. Moreover, recent studies have shown the beneficial effects of diets including probiotic flora in enteral formulas to enhance the gut mucosal barrier. This is called ecoimmunonutrition. The use of immune-enhancing formulas and modern recommendations concerning this sort of approach are discussed in the present article.