Original title: A Review of Micronutrients and the Immune System–Working in Harmony to Reduce the Risk of Infection
The immune system relies on many nutrients, including vitamins C and D and zinc, to support body barriers and immune cells. Some people may not get enough from food, and infection, stress, or pollution can use up the body’s stores. Even a small shortage may weaken immune function. The review says supplements containing several nutrients may help reduce infection risk, but the evidence is not settled.
Imagine a team getting ready for a match. Each player needs different supplies, and a small shortage can make the whole team less able to play well. In this paper, the players are parts of the immune system, and the supplies are nutrients that help body barriers and immune cells do their jobs.
People with limited diets, or whose needs rise during infection, stress, or pollution, may not get enough nutrients to support immune defenses. The review says supplements may help reduce infection risk, but better human studies are needed to confirm who benefits and what combinations work.
The review says evidence on supplementation is contradictory and does not establish which doses or combinations benefit which populations. It calls for better-designed human clinical studies to confirm whether supplements reduce infection risk.
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A Review of Micronutrients and the Immune System–Working in Harmony to Reduce the Risk of Infection — Adrian F. Gombart, Adeline Pierre, Silvia Maggini — Nutrients — doi:10.3390/nu12010236
Abstract licence: CC BY
Explanation generated by Synthesis from the abstract — it is not the original paper.