What nutrients are needed for a healthy immune system? Check out the article below!
1. The role of nutrition in the immune system
A well-functioning immune system is important for survival. The immune system must be constantly alert, watching for signs of invasion or danger. The cells of the immune system must be able to distinguish themselves from foreign particles and further distinguish between harmful foreign molecules (e.g. from pathogens) and harmless foreign molecules (e.g. from food).
Nutrition and the immune system are closely related. Adequate and proper nutrition is necessary for all cells to function optimally and this includes cells in the immune system.
This includes the role of macronutrients, micronutrients and gut microbiota in the regulation of immune effects.
Nutritional regulation of the immune system has clinical applications, but may also have a role in healthy populations. It also works to reduce or delay the onset of immune-mediated chronic diseases.
Ongoing research in this area will lead to a deeper understanding of the role of diet and nutrients in immune function and facilitate the use of specific nutrients to improve human health.
2. The role of vitamins and minerals in the immune system
2.1. Role of ZinC
Zinc plays an important role in both innate and acquired immunity:
– Participates in protein synthesis enzymes, helps heal wounds and synthesizes hormones necessary for the maturation of T lymphocytes.
– Anti-inflammatory and allergy
– Synthesis of antibodies
– Regulates and enhances the function of the immune system.
-> Zinc supplementation accelerates mucosal regeneration, increases the amount of enzymes in the brush border, increases cellular immunity, increases antibody secretion. Therefore, zinc deficiency can weaken immunity, increase susceptibility to infections, especially diarrhea in children. Zinc supplementation may reduce the incidence and severity of infections, possibly reducing infant mortality.

2.2. Role of Vitamin D
Vitamin D has anti-fibrotic, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties.
– Increases differentiation of monocytes into macrophages.
– Stimulates immune cell proliferation and cytokine production and helps protect against infection.
– 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 , the active form of vitamin D, regulates the antibacterial proteins cathelicidin and defensin, which can directly kill pathogens, especially bacteria.
Vitamin D is important for reducing the risk of upper respiratory tract infections and plays a role in lung epithelial health, especially in premature infants. Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of autoimmune diseases (such as type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis)
2.3. Role of calcium
Calcium may not be directly involved in immunomodulation but adequate calcium intake is required to maintain vitamin D levels within the optimal range to facilitate maintenance of immunomodulatory benefits.
Vitamin D and calcium deficiency is a predisposing condition for a number of diseases, such as: chronic infectious diseases, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders, as well as hypertension and cardiovascular disease and cancer. In particular, low calcium intake will exacerbate the consequences of vitamin D deficiency.
2.4. Role of magnesium
Mg has a close relationship with the immune system, in both nonspecific and specific immune responses.
Intracellular free magnesium levels in natural killer cells (NKs) and CD8 T cells regulate their cytotoxicity. Magnesium deficiency has an impaired immune response; when magnesium is supplemented, the immunodeficiency is partially or almost completely reversed.
2.5. Role of vitamin A
Vitamin A is involved in maintaining the normal structure of the skin and mucous membranes, and cell differentiation. Vitamin A helps in the development and regeneration of skin and mucous membranes, the ability to secrete secretions of mucosal cells, and stimulates the development of epithelial layers such as stratum corneum, intestines and respiratory tract. Vitamin A stimulates wound healing.
Therefore, vitamin A participates in both specific and nonspecific immunity of the body:
+ Non-specific immunity: protects the integrity of the skin and mucous membranes, against the penetration of bacteria and pathogens into the body.
+ Specific immunity: helps to maintain and protect the lymphocyte lineage, participates in the T-lymphocyte-mediated immune response. It also improves antibody production and induces T lymphocytes to release lymphokines, which help natural killer cells to exhibit antiviral activity in the blood.
2.6. Role of vitamin C
– Physical barrier:
The unique function of vitamin C is to play an important role in the formation of collagen, a protein necessary for the attachment of cells, the stability of blood vessels and important for the formation and protection of tissues such as skin, cartilage, blood vessels, bones and teeth. As a result, vitamin C:
+ Stimulates the protection of tissues
+ Stimulates the quick healing of scars
– Specific immunity:
Antioxidant properties protect white blood cells and lymphocytes from oxidative stress. Vitamin C participates in the process of creating antibodies, enhancing the activity of immune cells such as natural killer (NK) cells, T lymphocytes and monocytes, thereby increasing the body’s resistance to infectious diseases. Vitamin C stimulates the synthesis of interferon – substances that prevent the entry of bacteria and viruses into cells, inhibit inflammation and enhance immune regulation.
2.7. Role of omega-3
Omega-3 supplementation may be involved in preventing viral entry by altering the lipid composition of the cell’s bilayer. DHA and EPA reduce proinflammatory mediators, thereby reducing lung neutrophil infiltration.
Omega-3 mediates inflammatory and immunoregulatory processes for both the innate and acquired immune systems. The anti-inflammatory activities of EPA and DHA include altering the cell membrane phospholipid fatty acid composition, disrupting lipid plaques, and inhibiting the activation of the proinflammatory transcription factor κB, thereby reducing the expression of inflammatory genes. Omega-3 increases the phagocytosis of macrophages, neutrophils, EPA and DHA increase B cell IgM antibody production by increasing the number of antibody producing cells.

In addition to omega-3, another essential polyunsaturated fatty acid, omega-6, is also involved in the key regulation of the inflammatory response. However, arachidonic acid (ARA; 20:4 ω-6) is considered a precursor of inflammatory molecules and requires additional caution in infectious patients.
The optimal effect of omega-6 depends on the concentration ratio to omega-3. It is thought that a low omega 6:omega 3 ratio (no greater than 4:1) is associated with anti-inflammatory effects in the immune system.
2.8. Role of amino acids
The nature of antibodies and the cytotoxic substances of infection are proteins – made up of amino acids.

The protein regulates the activation of T and B lymphocytes, natural killer cells and macrophages, lymphocyte proliferation, and the production of antibodies, cytokines, and other cytotoxic substances.
Hydrolyzed proteins have been shown to enhance barrier function and IgA production in animal models, and as a result may have applications for incorporation in hypoallergenic infant formula and clinical nutrition for those with conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Protein deficiency impairs immune function and increases human susceptibility to infectious disease.
Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid that provides an important source of energy for many cell types including those involved in immune responses. It also serves as a precursor for nucleotide synthesis, which is particularly relevant for rapidly dividing cells such as immune cells in an immune response.
Glutamine has a role in the function of several immune cells including neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes. Under catabolic conditions (eg, infection, inflammation, trauma), glutamine is released into the circulation, an essential process controlled by metabolic organs such as the liver, intestines, and skeletal muscle.
2.9. Some other nutrients
– Selenium is a trace element that, like zinc, has important functional, structural and enzymatic roles in many proteins. In addition to important roles in many non-immune tissues in the body, selenium is important for optimal immune function.
Several authors explain the role of selenium in immunobiology and the mechanism by which selenoproteins regulate immunity. Evidence on the importance of selenium status in infectious diseases including human immunodeficiency virus infection was reviewed.
Se affects both the innate immune system (such as macrophages and neutrophils) and the adaptive immune system (such as T and B lymphocytes). Until nowadays, studies investigating the impact of Se at the nutritional level on cancer immunity indicate that Se has the potential to function as an immunostimulant, i.e. reverses immune escape of cancer cells by activating immune cells, modulating proinflammatory cytokines, protecting immune cells from oxidative stress.
– Vitamin E is one of the vitamins with antioxidant ability to hinder the reaction, hinder the bad reaction of free radicals on body cells, and has a strong anti-inflammatory effect. Vitamin E together with vitamin C form an important factor in slowing down the development of some cancers.
Vitamin E is required for normal immune function, particularly for T-lymphocyte function, enhancement of T-cell-mediated function, and lymphocyte proliferation. It also enhances IL-2 production and cytotoxic activity of NK cells.

– Vitamin B6: participates in both innate and specific immunity and regulates inflammation and NK cell activity. It is required in the synthesis and endogenous metabolism of amino acids, the structure of cytokines and antibodies and has a role in lymphocyte proliferation, differentiation and maturation.
– Vitamin B12: may act as an immunomodulator for cellular immunity, especially with cytotoxic effects (NK cells, CD8 + T cells) ) to facilitate T-lymphocyte production. It is also involved in humoral and cellular immunity.
– Folate (Vitamin B9): Plays a role in cell-mediated immunity and is important for adequate antibody response to antigen. It also supports Th1-mediated immune response.
– Iron: participates in the regulation of cytokine production and activity. Formation of highly toxic hydroxyl radicals, thus participating in the killing of bacteria by neutrophils.
Iron is important in the generation of redox radicals that destroy pathogens, necessary for the differentiation and growth of T cells, components of enzymes important for the functioning of immune cells. However, in infectious diseases, an excess of iron leads to an aggravation of the infection.
– Copper: scavenges free radicals and has antibacterial properties. Copper accumulates at sites of inflammation, important for IL-2 production and response. It also plays a role in T-cell proliferation and antibody production and cellular immunity.

Article source: Nutrition Research and Development Institute (https://inrd.vn/)
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