ABSTRACT
Contemporary research in nutritional sciences and immunology has led to a new understanding of the role of inammation in obesity-and age-related chronic diseases. This realization has also led to a convergence of the elds of immunology and nutrient physiology and the understanding that they are closely linked [1,2]. This chapter will review numerous ways to evaluate the impact of inammation on chronic diseases utilizing biomarker measurements. Recent studies forecast that by the year 2030 a doubling to tripling of obesity-associated diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and common forms of cancer will occur [3,4]. While the human genome has changed very little in the last 50,000 years, our diets and lifestyles have changed greatly in just the last 500 years with the introduction of sugars, fats, and salt at levels never seen in the history of mankind. The discovery of agriculture some 10,000 years ago led to increased intakes of dairy products and grains. This change in diets was accelerated during the last 200 years by the Industrial Revolution, leading some individuals to argue that we should imitate aspects of the diet that was prevalent in the Paleolithic era [5-7]. The results of these changes in diet and lifestyle have been linked to inammation as reviewed in this chapter.
