Immune‐Enhancing Diets: Products, Components, and Their Rationales

Endoscopic identification of the jejunum facilitates minimally invasive jejunostomy tube insertion in selected cases

“…They provide for the administration of nutrients, fluids, or medications to patients unable to maintain adequate oral intake. Enteral nutritional support is superior to total parenteral nutrition (TPN) in achieving nutritional goals, improving outcomes, maintaining gastrointestinal mucosal integrity, promoting immunosecretory function, and avoiding infectious complications [1][2][3][4][5].…”

Functional Foods that Boost the Immune System

“…Conversely, a large study of well-nourished, relatively young (median age 64-66 years) surgical patients who received immunonutrients at a subtherapeutic level (e.g. Ͻ30% of nutritional needs, Ͻ500 mL/day) did not demonstrate differences in outcome compared with patients who received intravenous fluid (Schloerb 2001).…”

“…Some nutrients such as glutamine, arginine, omega-3 fatty acids, nucleotides and probiotics have been shown to have a considerable influence on immune function (delayed hypersensitivity). For this reason, they are called 'immunonutrients' or 'immunity regulators' (Schloerb 2001).…”

“…Many fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins (especially vitamin C, vitamin E and folate) and iron. Proteins such as lean meat, fish, eggs and milk are recognised as excellent sources of these vitamins and iron (Beisel 1982;Klausner 2000;Schloerb 2001;Guy 2007;Turner 2007;Rosenberg 2008). …”

“…Human breast milk contains approximately 70 mg of nucleotides per litre, and consequently, many infant formulae are now supplemented with dietary nucleotides. Several immune-enhancing enteral formulae also contain nucleotides (Schloerb 2001).…”