Nutrients and Immune Function

Nutrition plays a fundamental role in the maintenance of good health. The link between nutrition and immunity is evident from the effects of malnutrition which results in secondary immunodeficiency, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies which lead to increase in susceptibility to infectious diseases. In recent years, advances in clinical and experimental studies have provided the mechanistic basis of the effects of nutrients on immune cells. This book is aimed at nutrition or dietetics students who are learning immunology for the first time. It covers all related fields comprehensively, from vitamins and minerals to food allergies and probiotics. Special topics such as cancer and exercise are also introduced. It will help establish a good foundation for students to understand how nutrients can affect the function of immune cells and maintain a healthy body in normal and diseased states.