GUT FLORA, NUTRITION, IMMUNITY AND HEALTH; ED. BY ROY FULLER

Some foods, as well as contributing essential nutrients to the body, also contain additional components that improve disease resistance and general health status over and above that induced by ingestion of conventional foods. The so-called functional foods, and prebiotics and probiotics exemplify the relationship that exists between nutrition, the gut (the largest element of the body’s immune system) and its flora, immunology and health. This important book contains chapters covering the basic principles of nutrition, gut microecology and immunology, as well as chapters which discuss the way in which this knowledge may be used to explain the positive and negative effects of food consumption, metabolism, probiotics and prebiotics. Food hypersensitivity and allergic reactions, carcinogenesis, and the role of nutrition in the reduced immunity of the aged are also discussed in detail. The editors of this exciting and informative book, who between them have a vast wealth of knowledge of the area, have drawn together and carefully edited international contributions from many well known and respected workers in the area. Gut Flora, Nutrition, Immunity and Health provides essential information for a range of professionals including nutritionists, dietitians, food scientists, microbiologists, gastroenterologists, immunologists and all personnel working in the development and use of functional foods and supplements, prebiotics and probiotics. Libraries in universities and research establishments where these subjects are studied and taught, and pharmaceutical and food companies should have multiple copies of this very useful book on their shelves. Roy Fuller is a consultant in gut microecology, based in Reading, UK; Gabriela Perdigón is based at the Centro de Referencia para Lactobacillus (CERELA) and at the Faculty of Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy of Tucuman University, Argentina. Cover Page......Page 1 Title Page......Page 4 © 2003 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd......Page 5 3 The Health Benefits of Probiotics and Prebiotics......Page 6 5 The Role of the Immune System......Page 7 7 Mucosal Immune System and Malnutrition......Page 8 10 Nutritional and Microbial Modulation of Carcinogenesis......Page 9 11 The Role of Nutrition in Immunity of the Aged......Page 10 Index......Page 11 Preface......Page 12 Acknowledgements......Page 13 1 The Intestinal Microflora......Page 14 2 Food and the Large Intestine......Page 37 3 The Health Benefits of Probiotics and Prebiotics......Page 65 4 Intestinal Microflora and Metabolic Activity......Page 90 5 The Role of the Immune System......Page 112 6 Behaviour of the Immune System in Eating Disorders......Page 150 7 Mucosal Immune System and Malnutrition......Page 168 8 Immune Activation Versus Hyporesponsiveness and Tolerance in the Gut......Page 191 9 Food Hypersensitivity and Allergic Diseases......Page 214 10 Nutritional and Microbial Modulation of Carcinogenesis......Page 221 11 The Role of Nutrition in Immunity of the Aged......Page 250 12 Conclusions......Page 283 Index......Page 288 This title reviews the interactions between bacteria in the human intestinal tract, and the effects on nutrition and the immune system. The editors, who are well known for their work in this subject, have drawn together an list of known international contributors. Covering major aspects of the subject including probiotics and functional foods, the immune system in health and disease, oral tolerance, food and allergic disease and carcinogenesis, each chapter carefully reviews the latest research and important facts in each area. The book should prove a useful point of reference for all nutritionists, food microbiologists and immunologists Major topics covered include probiotics and functional foods, the immune system in health and disease, oral tolerance, food and allergic disease, and carcinogenesis. Each chapter carefully reviews the latest research and relevant facts on the subject, making this book a valuable learning tool that no research library should be without Much of our knowledge of the composition of the gut microflora of humans has been derived from bacteriological studies that utilised the traditional techniques of culture, microscopy and the determination of the fermentative and other biochemical capabilities of bacterial isolates.