Fortified foods and medicinal plants as immunomodulators

Abstract

There is a strong consensus that nutrition plays an important role in modulating the immune system which needs adequate supply of nutrients to function properly. The complexity of the immune system supports this idea because its optimal functioning involves a variety of biological activities including energy metabolism, production of proteins, cell division, and proliferation. Important micronutrients to the immune function include vitamins A, C, E, and B6, folate, iron, zinc, and selenium. Other nutrients mentioned as playing a role in immune function include beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A), vitamin B12, and vitamin D. On the other hand, overdoses for activation of the immune system can lead to detrimental effects such as chronic inflammation or autoimmune diseases. In some individuals with allergies, a normally harmless material can be mistaken as an antigen. Immune functions are responsible to protect the body against attack by pathogens or cancer cells and thus play a vital role for health and well-being. However, the immune functions are disturbed by malnutrition, aging, physical and mental stress, or undesirable lifestyle. Therefore, ingestion of foods with immune-modulating activities is considered an efficient way to reduce the risk of infections or cancer and to prevent the immune function from declining.