Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access

The Role of Nutrition in Immune Function across Time and Technology

Emily Fraser^{* *}Correspondence: Emily Fraser, Department of Community Nutrition and Health Promotion, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, Email:

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Description

Nutritional immunology, the interdisciplinary field that explains the relationship between diet and immune function, has a relatively recent history as a formal scientific discipline, yet its roots trace back to centuries-old observations about food, health and disease. This field has evolved remarkably from speculative connections between malnutrition and infection to a sophisticated science backed by molecular insights, clinical studies and public health relevance. The nutritional immunology provides a valuable perspective on how nutrition science has matured alongside immunology, particularly in the context of global health, disease prevention and therapeutic development.

Early references to the impact of nutrition on health can be found in ancient medical texts, such as those from Hippocrates and traditional Eastern medicine, where food was considered both sustenance and remedy. However, it wasn't until the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries that scientific connections between malnutrition and immune suppression began to be documented. Observations made during famines and wartime scarcity revealed increased susceptibility to infections in malnourished populations, particularly among children. These observations laid the groundwork for a more systematic investigation of how nutritional deficiencies impair immune responses.

The discovery of essential nutrients, including vitamins and trace elements, between 1910 and 1940 provided the biochemical tools necessary to examine dietimmunity interactions in more detail. During World War II, nutrition research received renewed attention, leading to studies that showed the importance of vitamin A in maintaining mucosal immunity and zinc in wound healing. These insights were later corroborated by animal models and human studies showing that deficiencies in single nutrients like protein, iron, vitamin C and selenium could compromise immune cell function, cytokine production and resistance to pathogens.

The second half of the 20^th century marked a significant turning point. The emerging fields of immunology and molecular biology provided mechanistic explanations for the immunemodulating effects of diet. In particular, the identification of lymphocyte subsets, cytokine networks and antigen-presenting cells allowed researchers to pinpoint how specific nutrients modulate immune pathways. For example, protein-energy malnutrition was shown to cause thymic atrophy and reduced Tcell proliferation, while deficiencies in micronutrients such as zinc, vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids were found to affect both innate and adaptive immune responses.

By the 1980s and 1990s, nutritional immunology began to integrate epidemiological findings, especially in relation to infectious diseases and immune-related disorders in developing countries. The global burden of malnutrition became intertwined with the study of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and diarrheal illnesses. These studies revealed a bidirectional relationship: not only could malnutrition impair immune defense, but infection itself could exacerbate nutrient depletion, creating a vicious cycle.

In recent decades, the field has expanded to encompass chronic diseases and aging. Nutritional immunology has been instrumental in understanding how diet influences inflammation, autoimmunity and cancer risk. The identification of low-grade chronic inflammation as a common denominator in conditions such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurodegeneration has placed dietary patterns at the center of preventive strategies. Nutrients such as polyphenols, dietary fiber and probiotics have gained attention for their immunomodulatory potential, particularly through interactions with the gut microbiome.

Technological advancements such as genomics, metabolomics and systems biology have propelled the field further by enabling precision nutrition approaches. Researchers can now examine how genetic variations affect individual responses to nutrients and how dietary interventions modulate immune responses at the cellular and molecular level. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has revived public and scientific interest in the immune-enhancing roles of nutrients such as vitamin D, zinc and omega-3s, reinforcing the relevance of nutritional immunology in both preventive and therapeutic contexts.

Looking forward, the history of nutritional immunology serves as a strong foundation for its future growth. As the world faces overlapping burdens of malnutrition ranging from undernutrition to overnutrition and emerging infectious threats, understanding the interplay between diet and immune function will remain a cornerstone of public health. The field is expected to continue evolving with the help of integrative approaches, combining clinical data, artificial intelligence, microbiome science and environmental health perspectives to deliver personalized and population-level nutritional strategies.

In conclusion, the process of nutritional immunology reflects the increasing recognition of food as a fundamental determinant of immune competence. From ancient beliefs to molecular science, this field has demonstrated the intricate and powerful connections between what we eat and how we defend ourselves against disease. As scientific understanding deepens, nutritional immunology holds potential not only in addressing malnutrition and infection but also in forming the future of precision medicine, wellness and global health resilience.