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Review
. 2023 Dec 6;6(2):392-401.
doi: 10.1136/bmjnph-2023-000755. eCollection 2023.

Vital role for primary healthcare providers: urgent need to educate the community about daily nutritional self-care to support immune function and maintain health

Philip C Calder  1   2 , Anna Bach-Faig  3   4 , Teresa Bevacqua  5 , Chrystopherson Gengyny Caballero Lopez  6 , Zheng-Yu Chen  7 , Daragh Connolly  8 , Wan Lee Koay  9 , Simin N Meydani  10 , Ari-Sentug Pinar  11 , Durval Ribas-Filho  12 , Adeline Pierre  13
Affiliations
Review

Vital role for primary healthcare providers: urgent need to educate the community about daily nutritional self-care to support immune function and maintain health

Philip C Calder et al. BMJ Nutr Prev Health. .

Abstract

The importance of self-care to improve health and social well-being is well recognised. Nevertheless, there remains a need to encourage people to better understand how their body works, and how to keep it healthy. Because of its important role, part of this understanding should be based on why the immune system must be supported. This highly complex system is essential for defending against pathogens, but also for maintaining health throughout the body by preserving homeostasis and integrity. Accordingly, the immune system requires active management for optimal functioning and to reduce the risk of chronic diseases. In addition to regular exercise, healthy sleeping patterns, cultivating mental resilience, adequate nutrition through healthy and diverse dietary habits is key to the daily support of immune function. Diet and the immune system are closely intertwined, and a poor diet will impair immunity and increase the risk of acute and chronic diseases. To help elucidate the roles of primary healthcare providers in supporting individuals to engage in self-care, an international group of experts reviewed the evidence for the roles of the immune system in maintaining health and for nutrition in daily immune support, and discussed implications for population health and clinical practice.

Keywords: nutrient deficiencies; nutritional treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: PCC acts as an ad hoc adviser/consultant to BASF AS, DSM, Danone-Nutricia, Cargill, Nutrileads, Bayer Consumer Care, Haleon Wellness (formerly GSK Consumer Healthcare), and Fresenius Kabi; has received speaking honoraria from DSM, Danone-Nutricia, Fresenius Kabi, Bayer Consumer Care, GSK Consumer Healthcare, Biogredia, Pepsico, Proctor & Gamble and Abbott; has current research funding from Bayer Consumer Care and Tate and Lyle; and is using study materials from DSM and Tate and Lyle in current human trials. AB-F has received fees for oral presentations at Bayer Hispania SL Congresses. DR-F acts an ad hoc adviser/consultant to Marjan, Mantecorp, Novo Nordisk, Arese, Apsen, Pfizer, Nestlé, Abbot and Cellera. The funder, Bayer Consumer Care, employs AP and had a role in the writing and review of the manuscript and the decision to publish the manuscript. All authors received financial support for participating in the related webinar funded by Bayer Consumer Health AG. TB, CGCL, Z-YC, DC, WLK, SNM and PAS declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The multifaceted roles of the immune system go beyond host defence. Negative feedback mechanisms normally correct small deviations in the body’s steady-state variables to regulate homeostasis—but these may be insufficient to maintain stability if deviations are too large; when this happens, inflammatory cells and signals support homeostatic regulation until homeostasis is restored.
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) The immune system is integrated throughout every part of the body and is constantly on alert for external threats and for any internal challenges or anomalies that might affect homeostasis. (b) When any irregularities are detected or sickness develops, an appropriate immune response is triggered to respond to the problem, restore homeostasis, and thereby maintain health (partly adapted with permission from Ayres121).
Figure 3
Figure 3
The immune system can be challenged by many factors throughout life, leading to increased inflammation, damaged cells and dysregulation of homeostasis that contribute to chronic and age-related disorders such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, dementia, cancer, etc.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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