Nutrition and Immunity: Lessons for COVID-19

From "Calder, P.C. Nutrition and immunity: lessons for COVID-19.

Eur J Clin Nutr 75, 1309–1318 (2021)".

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-021-00949-8

The role of the immune system is to protect the individual against pathogenic organisms. Nutrition is one of multiple factors that determines the immune response and good nutrition is important in supporting the immune response.

Immunity can be impaired in older people, particularly those who are frail, in those living with obesity, in those who are malnourished and in those with low intakes of micronutrients.

Thus, attention should be focussed on addressing the current nutritional inadequacies (frailty, obesity, general undernutrition, micronutrient insufficiency  or deficiency) that are widespread in the population in order to better support the immune response. This is the major lesson from the study of nutrition and immunity that is relevant for the battle with SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes, COVID-19, and for ensuring the population is better prepared for future pandemics.

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