Nutritional Immunology In Lifespan
Our diet profoundly influences our immune system from the very beginning of life until old age. This emerging field, known as nutritional immunology, highlights how what we eat can significantly impact our body’s defenses against illness.
Even before birth, a mother’s diet helps program an infant’s immune system. After birth, factors like human breast milk and early exposure to nutrients such as choline and polyunsaturated fatty acids are crucial for the proper development of a baby’s immune responses. As we move into adulthood, prolonged exposure to unhealthy eating habits, factors that promote obesity, and an imbalance of gut bacteria (known as gut dysbiosis) can lead to increased inflammation and a weakened immune system.
Later in life, specific essential nutrients, or micronutrients, like certain vitamins and selenium, may help to slow down or even reverse the effects of aging on our immune function and reduce inflammation. This could have important implications for conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, which has an inflammatory component.
Immunonutrition, which involves using specific dietary interventions, aims to enhance immune function. Key nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds called flavonoids are vital for immune cells. The “oxi-inflamm-aging theory” suggests a connection between the antioxidant effects of our diet (which protect cells from damage), our immune system’s performance, and our lifespan. For instance, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, and flavonoids have all been shown to play roles in supporting immune health, reducing oxidative damage, and influencing aging processes.
It’s also important to remember that our gut is a major immune organ, housing over 65% of our immune cells. The food we eat directly influences the balance of bacteria in our gut, which in turn shapes our immune and inflammatory responses. Therefore, maintaining a balanced diet is a powerful and modifiable way to support a robust immune system throughout our lives.
Source: link to paper