The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of mechanisms without systematic methodology or primary human trial data
PubMed 33803407 · doi:10.3390/nu13030886
What was done
This narrative review synthesizes literature on the mechanisms connecting the gut microbiota, the intestinal epithelial layer, local mucosal immunity, and systemic immune function across the lifespan, focusing on infectious disease risk and the role of nutrition in prevention and management.
What was found
The abstract reports no experimental data or quantitative effect sizes. It states that 70-80% of immune cells reside in the gut and describes qualitative associations indicating that gut microbiota modulates local and systemic immune responses to pathogens, which can be influenced by nutritional intake.
Why it matters
It provides a broad conceptual overview of how dietary interventions might support immune function against infectious diseases through gut microbiome modulation.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks a systematic search strategy, explicit study selection criteria, and quality appraisal of included literature. No quantitative synthesis, clinical effect sizes, or primary human trial data are presented in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports The gastrointestinal tract accounts for approximately 70% to 80% of the immune system.