1990 McCollum Award Lecture. Nutrition and immunity: lessons from the past and new insights into the future

Article Abstract:

The relationship between nutrition and the immune system was recognized a long time ago when periods of famine and starvation were associated with reduced ability to fight infection. Epidemiological studies, performed in more recent years, have confirmed and extended these findings. It is now becoming evident that deficiencies of specific nutrients in the diet can impair the function of the immune system. Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) has been shown to reduce the size and the weight, and thus the function, of the thymus, a small organ located in the chest. Since the thymus makes cells (lymphocytes) that produce antibodies and kill invading microorganisms, shrinkage of the thymus reduces the body's ability to fight infection. Also, deficiencies of vitamin A, vitamin B-6 and zinc have been shown to reduce the size of the thymus and to reduce the production of antibodies for fighting infection. Vitamins C and E are necessary for normal immune cell function, but deficiencies of these vitamins are less likely to reduce antibody production. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency, and iron is essential for maintaining proper immune cell function. Dietary deficiencies of certain amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) have been associated with reduced immune function, and two studies have reported that glutamine and arginine may stimulate the immune system and help to prevent infection. More recently, it has been reported that the function of the immune system may decline with aging. However, this decline in immune function may be partially attributed to nutrient deficiencies (iron, vitamin C, zinc) that are common in elderly people. Correcting these deficiencies with dietary supplements has been shown to improve immune function in the elderly. Obesity has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of infection, and excessive intake of fat (lipid) has been shown to decrease the ability to fight infection. Also, consuming large amounts of zinc, selenium, vitamin A, and vitamin E may reduce immune function. All of these studies serve to illustrate the need to consume an adequate diet in order to maintain the body's ability to fight infection. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Causes of, Physiological aspects, Immune response, Immunosuppression, Malnutrition

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Nutrition during pregnancy: the effects of an educational intervention program in Greece

Article Abstract:

Poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy has been linked to fetal growth retardation, difficult childbirth, and toxemia (a serious complication involving hypertension, convulsions and coma). In contrast, optimal nutrition in pregnancy may reduce maternal and infant illness and mortality. In a region of rural Greece where infant mortality was high, 568 pregnant women took part in a nutrition education program and research study. Mothers who received nutrition counselling had dramatically higher caloric and nutrient intakes than women in a control group who were not counselled. Without nutrition education, many women in this region intentionally restricted their food intake, believing this would make childbirth easier. Both groups of women had adequate nutrition according to dietary and blood nutrient data. The nutrition education group had greater pregnancy weight gain, but the expected group difference in birth weight did not occur; low birth weight was not more frequent in the control group. The rate of prematurity was significantly lower in the intervention group, which suggested that the nutrition education was beneficial. The absence of a group difference in infant birth weight was attributed to the fact that both groups of women were generally well-nourished before and during pregnancy. In a population at greater nutritional risk, more benefits from nutrition education would be expected.

Greece, Study and teaching, Pregnant women, Weight gain, Birth weight, Pregnancy, Complications of, Pregnancy complications

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Rapid preparation of pyrogen-free 2H2 180 for human-nutrition studies

Article Abstract:

Water labelled with stable isotopes is used in studies of human nutrition. The water is labelled, or made radioactive, by incorporating the radioactive substances deuterium (an isotope of hydrogen) and oxygen-18 into the water molecule. The cost of sterile water that is radiolabeled with deuterium and oxygen-18 is high, ranging between $45 and $80 per gram. In addition, supplies of this oxygen-18-labelled water may often be contaminated with bacteria and pyrogens, which are substances that produce fever. An efficient method is needed to purify the water. Ultrafiltration is filtration in which the particles but not the liquid portion of the solution are retained. An ultrafiltration method was developed to remove bacteria and pyrogens from radiolabeled water with minimal loss of the radioactivity. The system is composed of readily available components and completely removes bacteria and pyrogens from one liter of contaminated water within half an hour. This system caused minimal loss of the radioactive substances deuterium and oxygen-18. The purified water can be given orally or intravenously to healthy subjects for research studies in human nutrition. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Methods, Usage, Protection and preservation, Water quality, Ultrafiltration, Radioactive tracers

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