ABSTRACT
The immune system benefits from good quality nutrition of the organism. Not only does the immune system benefit directly from good nutrition, but indirectly good nutrition will prepare the organism for periods of stress, reducing the adverse effects and enhancing recovery. This chapter discusses the effects of two environmental stressors of relevance to spaceflight, microgravity and space radiation. Both have major physiological impact and both induce immunosuppression. Although poorly investigated to date, it is likely that nutritional interventions could play a role in enabling the immune system to withstand the effects of such stressors and in promoting recovery. There may be even greater benefits from targeting the immune system with nutrient interventions: given the considerable interactions between the immune system and bone remodeling, nutritional countermeasures that influence the immune system could also prove beneficial in reducing the significant bone loss occurring during long-term spaceflights.
