Nutrition and Immunity in Man

CeSSIAM in Guatemala PO Box 02-5339 Section 3163/GUATEMALA Miami, FL 33102-5339

ILSI Europe Concise Monograph Series, by Lillian Langseth, 1999, 25 pages, softcover, $12.50. ILSI Press, Washington, DC.

Understanding of the human immune response has come a long way in the past 30 y from the era of the triad of phagocytosis, humoral immunity, and cellular immunity. The newest member of the ILSI Europe Concise Monograph Series reflects that progress in a truly concise manner (23 pages of text), making for rapid and easy reading.

The treatment of the theme is superficial, but there is about as much depth as one might want when skimming the surface of this emerging topic. Tight organization is a key aspect of this publication. The text is divided into 7 sections: introduction, the functioning of the immune system, dietary factors that alter the immune response, probiotics—the concept of beneficial gut bacteria, reduction of disease risk by dietary modification of the immune system, benefits and risks of altering the immune response by nutritional means, and summary. There is also a glossary of 28 terms (19 related to immune function or disease and 9 related to diet and nutrition) and 15 suggestions for further reading, none earlier than 1993. Schematic is the word for the presentation. The monograph contains 2 tables, 3 diagrammatic figures, and 8 box inserts (cytokines, more about B and T cells, nonspecific immune help, fat in the diet, prostaglandins, the inflammatory response, assessment of immune status, the immune system of the gut, and beyond immunity to disease).

For a topic that hearkens to paradigms of developing countries, the author has brought out relevance to Western countries. Immune distortion seen with obesity and with weight-loss regimens to treat obesity are highlighted, as is the explosion in asthma and possible dietary factors and vitamin A supplementation in complicated measles, even in more developed nations. Notable by their absence are discussions of breast-feeding, breast milk, and the lactation immune system. Also, the 15 lines on cancer and immunity, restricted to the T cell system, do not do justice to knowledge in that field.

The recommendations and conclusions are prudent and balanced. The penultimate section lists 7 bullet-point "approaches" characterized as "potentially beneficial." These are qualified by the statement that "the potential benefits of such approaches must be balanced against the potential risks."

Fifty cents a page is not a bargain for commercial literature, but the aggregate price is reasonable. Those interested in a textbook on immunity and nutrition will have to look elsewhere, but those looking for orientation to the emergence of issues and for a capsule of concrete suggestions will want to consult this monograph.