This text provides a review of the roles of specific nutrients in maintaining the immune response and host protection against infection. It also considers the influence of various factors, such as exercise and ageing, on the interaction between nutrition and immune function. It represents the first volume in a series to be published by CABI on behalf of the Nutrition Society.

Table of Contents:
Part I: The Immune System 1: The immune system - An overview, G Devereux, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen, UK 2: Evaluation of the effects of nutrients on immune function, S Cunningham-Rundles, Cornell University Weill Medical College, USA Part 2: Individual Nutrients, Infection and Immune Function 3: Effect of post-natal protein malnutrition and intrauterine growth retardation on immunity and risk of infection, R K Chandra, Janeway Child Health Centre, St John’s, NF, Canada 4: Fatty acids, inflammation and immunity, P C Calder and C J Field 5: Arginine and immune function, M D Duff and J M Daly, Cornell University, USA 6: Glutamine and immune function, P C Calder and P Newsholme, University College of Dublin, Ireland 7: Sulphur amino acids, glutathione and immune function, R F Grimble, University of Southampton, UK 8: Vitamin A, infection and immune funtion, R D Semba, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA 9: Antioxidant vitamins and immune function, D A Hughes, Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK 10: Zinc, infection and immune function, A S Prasad, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, USA 11: Role of iron in immunity and infection, S Kuvibidila, Louisiana State University, USA and B S Baliga, University of South Alabama, USA 12: Selenium and the immune system, R C McKenzie, University of Edinburgh, UK, J R Arthur, Rowett Research Institute, Aberdeen, UK, S M Miller, T S Rafferty and G J Beckett, University of Edinburgh, UK 13: Probiotics and immune function, H S Gill and M L Cross, Massey University, New Zealand Part 3: Nutrition and Immunity through the Life Cycle 14: Role of local immunity and breast feeding in mucosal homeostasis and defence against infection, P Brandtzaeg, University of Oslo, Norway 15: Food allergy, E Opara, Kingston University, UK 16: Exercise and immune function - effect of nutrition, E W Petersen and B K Pederson, Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Denmark 17: Nutrition and aging of the immune system, B Lesourd, A Raynaud-Simon and L Mazari, Hopital Nord du CHU de Clermont Ferrand, France 18: Nutrition and immunity - Public health implications, A Tomkins, Centre for International Child Health, London, UK