ABSTRACT
Many studies have been published that support the fact that probiotics help regulate as well as enhance various aspects of the innate and adaptive immune response, both in animals and in humans. These studies, however, vary in the grade of evidence that they provide on the potential of prebiotics and probiotics to have an effect on immune system protection and overall health. The consumption of probiotics has been shown to influence various aspects of the innate nonspecifi c immune system like promotion of mucin production, inhibition of pathogens, decrease in gut permeability, macrophage activation and phagocytic capacity, and Natural Killer (NK) cell activity. Regarding the adaptive immune system, the effects observed are an increase in the production of antibodies (IgA, IgM and IgG), and there is also an infl uence in the orchestration of both branches of the immune system by the production of cytokines and other regulatory elements. The documented effects, however, may be different depending on the species
Immunonutrition Group. Department of Metabolism and Nutrition. Institute of Food Science, Technology and Nutrition. ICTAN-CSIC. C/Jose Antonio Novais, 10. 28040 Madrid (Spain).
