NUTRITION AND INFECTION
Dietary components exert profound effect on immune system. Death from
infection is common in children with protein-calorie malnutrition.
Role of specific nutrients in diet are :
Vit A and Beta carotene — enhance cell mediated immune response. Vitamin A
reduces the mortality from measles by >50%, reduces Plasmodium falciparum
malaria rates by >35% and also reduces the hospital admission rates for diarrhea
by >40%. Thus Vitamin A supplementation remains a sound and safe investment
for child survival.
Sources for Vitamin A are – fish, liver oil, milk, egg yolk, margarine, green
vegetables and yellow fruits.
Vit C – improves immunity and is responsible for proper Iron absorption in the
body. Sources for Vitamin C are : citrus fruits, tomatoes, berries, cabbage, green
vegetables. Cooking destroys the active component of Vitamin C.
Vit E – This is immunostimulatory. Sources for Vit E are nuts, legumes and
green leafy vegetables.
Folic acid – needed for nucleotide synthesis which are the basic block in the cell.
Deficiency of the this causes megaloblastic anemia. Sources are : Liver, cheese,
green vegetables, nuts, yeast beans and peas.
Fatty acids – regulate inflammatory changes
Excess unsaturated fatty acids – Impair immunity, graft rejection and stimulate
tumor growth.
Iron – this is the commonest micronutrient deficiency in children. Apart
From anemia, decreased cognitive and motor impairment, there is impaired
phagocytosis resulting in increase in infectious diseases like salmonella,
mycobacteria and malaria. Sources for Iron are meat, fish, egg yolk, dried beans,
cheese and grains.
Zinc – important nutrient for developing and maintaining delayed cell mediated
immunity. Zinc supplementation improves growth, early motor activity and mental
development. Barrier functions of skin, lungs and gastrointestinal tract are reduced
in Zinc deficiency. Thus zinc reduces incidence of diarrhea, malaria and other
infectious illness in children. Sources are Meat, grain, nuts and cheese.
ROLE OF CHILDHOOD NUTRITION IN PREVENTION OF CANCER AND HYPERTENSION :
What we eat during lifetime strongly influences the probability of developing
certain types of cancer.
A high total fat intake is correlated with increased incidence of cancer of colon and
breast in both epidemiologic and animal studies. So the recommendation is that
there should be reduction in fat intake to 30% of calories.
Diets low in Vit A and carotene are associated with increased incidence of cancer
of lung, bladder and larynx.
Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and brussels sprouts contain unidentified
substance which inhibit carcinogenesis, so daily diet should contain these
cruciferous vegetables.
High sodium intake in infancy may predispose to hypertension in later life. .
Epidemiologically in USA 1 in 5 individual suffers from hypertension and much
more than required salt is consumed by them . Increased salt intake along with
changing lifestyle can give rise to increased incidence of hypertension.
A balanced Indian diet that includes rice, chapatti, vegetables, eggs, milk and fruits
provides most of the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals for proper growth
and development for children. Importance should be laid on fresh vegetables and
fruits along with milk and cereals intake as proper balanced nutrition in helpful not only for growth but for prevention of infection and later onset diseases in
adulthood like hypertension and cancer.
By
Dr Bhaskar Gupta
Consultant Pediatrician & neonatologist
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