Nutrition and the Immune System: An Introduction. Chandra R. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1997. 66(2): 460S.
Quotes from the abstract:
- “Nutrition is a critical determinant of immune responses and malnutrition (is) the most common cause of immunodeficiency worldwide.”
- “Deficiency of single nutrients also results in altered immune responses: this is observed even when the deficiency state is relatively mild.”
- “Over-nutrition and obesity also reduce immunity.”
- “In the elderly, impaired immunity can be enhanced by modest amounts of a combination of micronutrients.”
- “These findings have considerable practical and public health significance.”
What is this published article? This is a paper that was written to summarize the widely understood concepts in the field of nutrition and the immune system. It was written over twelve years ago, so this is not new information. This is all widely understood, established scientific knowledge and has been for a considerable amount of time.
What do the quotes say? They say that the quality of the nutrition that you consume affects the health of your immune system. Also, overfeeding compromises the immune system, as well. It concludes that the relationship between nutritional status and the health of the public’s immune system is highly important.
Why haven’t I heard more about this? That is a very good question. I feel that the information that is reaching the public about what they need to do to protect and promote their health has been very limited and people health has suffered as a result. That is why I began writing these articles.
What can I do? A recent report published by the CDC stated that only 1 in 10 children were receiving the recommended quantities of fruits and vegetables every day. Watch “Well People Eat” in the Franson Family Chiropractic Lending Library for more information to improve this situation.
Who do I pass this on to? Mothers, family members, co-workers, school nurses, teachers, bus drivers, babysitters, your grandparents, your kids or other important people in your life.
what do they mean by “over nutrition”?
Bethany,
Thanks for checking in. They mean the opposite of malnutrition, eating more calories than necessary; essentially eating too much. Turns out that insufficient and deficient nutrient intake is harmful to the immune system.