Nutrition, Immunity and

Inflammation Task Force

ABOUT THE TASK FORCE

A well-functioning immune system is essential for human health and

wellbeing. Nutrition plays a major role in shaping and optimising
immune functions.
This task force focuses on better understanding the impact of
nutrition on immune functions and on determining reliable markers of
immuno-modulation and inflammation, relevant to health and well-
being. In the context of health claims regulation, the task force
provides guidance for the design, assessment and interpretation of
nutritional intervention studies that intend to modulate immune
functions.

WHAT’S NEW? ACTIVITIES

LATEST PUBLICATIONS
Calder et al. Health Relevance
of The Modification of Low
Grade Inflammation in
Ageing (Inflammageing) And
The Role of Nutrition. In this
review the experts documented
evidence for the protective role
of diets and foods as a strategy
to boost healthy ageing.
EVENTS
Results from Calder et al.,
2017 were presented at the
12th European Nutrition
Conference Federation of
European Nutrition Societies
(FENS) 2015 and at the
Biology of Ageing Conference
2015.
Conclusions from Calder et al.,
2013 on biomarkers of
inflammation were presented at
BENEFIQ 2016.
Relevance of quality of life measures to assess effectiveness
of nutrition on common infections – UPCOMING ACTIVITY
The objective of this activity will gastrointestinal and respiratory
be to investigate the relevance infections. The activity will be
of the quality of life tools split into two subactivities.
available (generic and health- Activity A should focus on
related QoL) and to provide an infant/children (overall <5yrs
expert opinion on the old) and activity B will review
usefulness of this measure as the available QoL instruments
an indicator marker (proxy) of developed for elderly people
health in the context of rather (65+ yrs old).
acute infection conditions,
Immune Competence Across Lifespan: Impact of Nutrition on
Immune Competence and Its Consequences Later in Life
The critical nutrients supporting Subsequently, the influence of
immune development and early life nutrition on health later
competence in the first years of in life will be evaluated. The
life as well as the impact of output of this activity will
early life nutrition on later life provide a recommendation on
immune competence are still readouts for immune
under debate. Building on the competence and nutritional
examination of relevant recommendations for an
signalling pathways, this activity optimal performing immune
is intended to identify and system early in life. It will further
explore markers representing draw associations between
the interaction between nutrition early life nutrition and immune
and immune competence. competence later in life.

As of April 2018 www.ilsi.eu

 Nutrition, Immunity and
Inflammation Task Force

MEMBER COMPANIES ACTIVITIES (CTD)

Health Relevance of the Modification of Low-Grade
•  Danone Inflammation (LGI) in Ageing: Causes, Effects and Health &
•  DuPont Nutrition and Health Wellbeing Consequences of LGI – COMPLETED
•  FrieslandCampina
•  Merck Low-grade inflammation (LGI) have a beneficial effect.
•  Nestlé has been linked to several The review highlights the health
•  Tine SA R&D chronic adverse health relevance of modifying LGI in
conditions including obesity, terms of well-being and health.
metabolic syndrome and The experts focused more on
cardiovascular diseases. It also the modifiers (such as nutrition
occurs as a natural and life style factors) than on
consequence of ageing. The the triggers. The review
aim of this project is to clarify if addresses the cross-talk
a modification in LGI could between the gut and the brain.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

P.C. Calder, N. Bosco, R. Bourdet-Sicard, L. Capuron, N. Delzenne, J. Doré, C. Franceschi, M. J.

Lehtinen, T. Recker, S. Salvioli, F. Visioli. Health Relevance of The Modification of Low Grade
Inflammation in Ageing (Inflammageing) And The Role of Nutrition. Ageing Research Reviews
2017; 40:95-119.
R. Albers, R. Bourdet-Sicard, D. Braun, P.C. Calder, U. Herz, C. Lambert, I. Lenoir-Wijnkoop, A.
Méheust, A. Ouwehand, P. Phothirath, T. Sako, S. Salminen, A. Siemensma,
H. van Loveren and U. Sack. Monitoring Immune Modulation by Nutrition in the General
Population: Identifying and Substantiating Effects on Human Health. British Journal of Nutrition
2013;110(Suppl.2): S1-S30.
P.C. Calder, N. Ahluwalia, R. Albers, N. Bosco, R. Bourdet-Sicard, D. Haller, S.T. Holgate, L.S.
Jönsson, M.E. Latulippe, A. Marcos, J. Moreines, C. M'Rini, M. Müller, G. Pawelec,
R.J. van Neerven, B. Watzl and J. Zhao. Consideration of Biomarkers to be used for Evaluation
of Inflammation in Human Nutritional Studies. British Journal of Nutrition 2013;109 (Suppl.1):S1-
S34.
All publications commissioned by this task force are available on our website: www.ilsi.eu.
For more information on ILSI Europe’s activities, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter
@ILSI_Europe and connect with us on LinkedIn.

CONTACT
Dr Tobias Recker
Scientific Project Manager
trecker@ilsieurope.be
Tel. +32 2 771 00 14
ILSI Europe Scan the QR code
Avenue E. Mounier 83, Box 6 for more information
BE – 1200 Brussels on ILSI Europe
BELGIUM