Nutrition as primary support of immunity
Authors:
P. Šíma 1; V. Bencko 2
Authors‘ workplace:
Mikrobiologický ústav AV ČR v. v. i., Praha, Laboratoř imunoterapie, Ředitel: Ing. Jiří Hašek, CSc.
1; Univerzita Karlova, Praha, 1. LF a VFN, Ústav hygieny a epidemiologie, Přednosta: prof. MUDr. Milan Tuček, CSc.
2
Published in:
Prakt. Lék. 2022; 102(2): 51-54
Category:
Reviews
Overview
The article summarizes the history of discovery of the relationship between nutrition and immunity. The idea of promoting good health through a right diet was already known to ancient physicians, as evidenced by Hippocrates’ (460–337 BC) quote, "If you know nothing about a person’s diet, how can you understand his illnesses." Diet not only has a nutritional meaning, but also has a direct effect on immunity. In this context, it is important to realize that every diet contains antigens that directly induce an immune response in our largest immune organ, the intestinal lymphoid tissue (GALT), which is always accompanied by the development of immunological memory, both immune specific (adaptive), as has recently been shown, non-specific immunity, which is referred to as "trained immunity". However, this time-tested experience has often been forgotten for many decades, as is the case in the history of human cognition, and especially in the history of medicine.
Diet not only has a nutritional significance, but also it has a direct effect on immune status. In this context, it is important to realize that every diet contains antigens that directly induce an immune response in our largest immune organ, the intestinal lymphoid tissue (GALT), which is always accompanied by the development of immunological memory, both specific (adaptive) immunity, and as it has recently been shown, non-specific (natural) immunity, which is referred to as "trained immunity". In essence, food intake therefore means ongoing vaccination, a constantly recurring induction of immunological memories of both types, the specific (adaptive), and the non-specific (trained).
Keywords:
nutrition as primary prevention – communicable disease – GALT – specific (adaptive) and non-specific (natural) immunity – immunological memory – trained immunity
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Labels
General practitioner for children and adolescents General practitioner for adultsArticle was published in
General Practitioner
2022 Issue 2
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