Diet, immunity and inflammation - Grand Format

Although inflammation is one of the body's first responses to infection, overactive immune responses can cause chronic inflammatory diseases. Long-term, low-grade inflammation has also been identified as a risk factor for other diseases. Diet, immunity and inflammation provides a comprehensive introduction to immunity and inflammation and the role of diet and nutrition in this key response. Part I, an introductory section, discusses innate and adaptive immunity, mucosal immunity in a healthy gut, chronic inflammatory diseases and chronic low-grade inflammation.
Chapters in Part II highlight the role of micronutrients - including zinc, selenium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin D - in inflammation and immunity. Part III explores other dietary constituents and includes chapters on intestinal bacteria and probiotics, the impacts of prebiotics on the immune system and inflammation, and the antimicrobial, immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects of food bioactive proteins and peptides.
Further chapters explore the role of olive oil, short- and long-chain fatty acids and arginine and glutamine in immune functions. Nutrition, immunity and inflammation are discussed from an integrative and life course perspective in Part IV. Chapters focus on adverse immune reactions to foods, early nutritional programming, the immune system during ageing, the impact of exercise on immunity and the interaction with nutrition, and the effect that malnutrition has on immunity and susceptibility to infection.