Nutrition and immunity: perspectives on key issues and next steps
Open accessAbstract
In January 2022, a group of experts came together to discuss current perspectives and future directions in nutritional immunology as part of a symposium organized by the Canadian Nutrition Society. Objectives included (1) creating an understanding of the complex interplay between diet and the immune system from infants through to older adults, (2) illustrating the role of micronutrients that are vital to the immune system, (3) learning about current research comparing the impact of various dietary patterns and novel approaches to reduce inflammation, autoimmune conditions, allergies, and infections, and (4) discussing select dietary recommendations aimed at improving disease-specific immune function. The aims of this review are to summarize the symposium and to identify key areas of research that require additional exploration to better understand the dynamic relationship between nutrition and immune function.
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In a nutrient-deficient state such as starvation, serum albumin decreases only slightly as the body compensates to maintain visceral protein status.
“Serum albumin has a 3-wk half-life, and in a nutrient-deficient state such as starvation the serum albumin will decrease only slightly as the body compensates to maintain visceral protein status.”
From The Value of Integrating the Nutritional Ecology into the Nutrition Care Continuum—A Conceptual and Systems Approach (2025) · cites this paper as [14]
Serum albumin has a 3-week half-life.
“Serum albumin has a 3-wk half-life, and in a nutrient-deficient state such as starvation the serum albumin will decrease only slightly as the body compensates to maintain visceral protein status.”
From The Value of Integrating the Nutritional Ecology into the Nutrition Care Continuum—A Conceptual and Systems Approach (2025) · cites this paper as [14]
Interpreting nutrition-related biomarkers in a context-specific manner is more important for individuals with conditions that can compromise nutrition-sensitive systems, such as compromised immune systems or disease-related inflammation and the acute phase response.
“Clearly, the nuances of interpreting nutrition-related biomarkers in a context-specific manner assumes greater importance for individuals with conditions that can potentially compromise nutrition-sensitive systems, e.g. those with compromised immune systems or disease-related inflammation and the concomitant acute phase response [[13], [14], [15], [16], [17]].”
From The Value of Integrating the Nutritional Ecology into the Nutrition Care Continuum—A Conceptual and Systems Approach (2025) · cites this paper as [14]
In catabolic states due to trauma, infection, or burns, serum albumin concentration decreases rapidly even when nutritional status may be preserved.
“However, if an individual enters a state of catabolism because of trauma, infection, or burns, the serum albumin concentration decreases rapidly, even when their nutritional status may be preserved.”
From The Value of Integrating the Nutritional Ecology into the Nutrition Care Continuum—A Conceptual and Systems Approach (2025) · cites this paper as [14]
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Raiten, D. J., Steiber, A. L., & Bremer, A. A. (2025) · Advances in Nutrition · doi:10.1016/j.advnut.2025.100385 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
- Authors
- Dunbar, C. L., Aukema, H. M., Calder, P. C., Gibson, D. L., Henrickson, S. E., Khan, S., Mailhot, G., Panahi, S., Tabung, F. K., Tom, M., Upton, J. E. M., Winer, D. A., & Field, C. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Alberta (CA)
- University of Manitoba (CA)
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- University of British Columbia (CA)
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (US)
- University Health Network (CA)
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center (CA)
- Canadian Nutrition Society (CA)
- The Ohio State University (US)
- Alberta Health Services (CA)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- University of Southern California (US)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism
- Publisher
- Canadian Science Publishing
- Published
- 2023-07-01
- Volume
- 48
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 484-497
- ISSN
- 1715-5312 (ISSN-L)
- 1715-5320
- OpenAlex
- W4323539253
- Cited by
- 24
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 1
- FWCI
- 1.19
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- TSpace (University of Toronto) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Canadian Nutrition Society
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutrition and Health Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Keywords
- nutritional immunology, diet and immune function, micronutrients, dietary habits, inflammation, autoimmune disease, allergy, infection, dietary recommendations
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Canada, Diet, Humans, Infant, Nutritional Status, Vitamin D, Micronutrients
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