Pediatr. praxi 2017; 18(4): 226-230 | DOI: 10.36290/ped.2017.043

Possibilities of influencing children immunity from a pediatric point of view

MUDr. Jan Boženský

Dětské oddělení Vítkovické nemocnice, a.s., Ostrava

The importance of a properly functioning and well-balanced immune system for maintaining health has become evident over thepast decades. There has been an apparent decrease in the prevalence of “traditional” infectious diseases, but on the other hand hasbeen increased number of allergic and autoimmune diseases. This result is probably connected with changes in life-style-relatedfactors, whether positive influencing (vaccination, better health care and nutrition) or negative influencing (smoking and environmentalpollution). We know, that diet and nutrition can affect too the functioning of immune system. Nutritional epigeneticsseeks to explain the effects of nutrition on gene expression. The nutrients we extract from food enter metabolic pathways wherethey are modified, and molded into molecules the body can use. One such pathway is responsible for making methyl groups,important epigenetic tags, that can change of gene functions or immune reactions. We know that some of the food suplementhave positive infuencing for developement children imunity, but generally we must be very careful about reccomanding foodsuplemments. Not only positive effect, but the safety this "therapy" should be our priority.

Keywords: immunity, nutrition, nutritional epigenetics

Published: October 1, 2017  Show citation