ABSTRACT
Malnutrition is widely recognized as a potential source of increased morbidity and mortality throughout the world. In many cases, it is not simply insufficient dietary intake of energy, but more specifically a shortage of dietary protein, leading
to what has become known as protein-energy malnutrition. In recent years, our understanding of this interaction has grown to include an appreciation of the essential role of dietary protein for the optimal functioning of the immune system. In fact, protein-energy malnutrition is now considered one of the most common causes of immunodeficiency and immune dysfunction throughout the world.
