77th Nestlé Nutrition Institute Workshop: The Importance of Immunonutrition

The 77th NNI workshop on Importance of immunonutrition held from October 28th – November 1st 2012 in Panama city presented the latest findings on how nutrient status can modulate immunity and improve health conditions in pediatric patients. Nutrients have tremendous potential to modulate the actions of the immune system, a fact which has significant impact on public health and clinical practice. During the last decade the role of nutrition, beyond providing the calories and the macro and micronutrients for surviving, is well established and clinically proven. The three sessions of this workshop covered major aspects of the interplay between nutrients and the regulation of the immunity and inflammatory process. The first session explored the pharmaceutical value of specific amino acids (arginine and glutamine) and hormones for addressing immune disorders and infant development. The second session revolved around the gut function and immunity, and the right balance of probiotics. The third session explored the role of lipid mediators and how their identities and proportions can tip the balance in favour of health or disease The chairpersons – Prof. M. Makrides, Prof. J. Ochoa and Prof. H. Szajewska established an excellent scientific workshop program and invited renowned speakers who have further debated and increased the understanding of this important topic through their presentations and participation in discussions.