Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2007 May;4(5):e115.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0040115.

Malnutrition and infection: complex mechanisms and global impacts

Affiliations
Review

Malnutrition and infection: complex mechanisms and global impacts

Ulrich E Schaible et al. PLoS Med. 2007 May.

Abstract

The authors discuss current concepts and controversies surrounding the complex influences of malnutrition on infection and immunity, and point to practical consequences of countermeasures in acute malnutrition.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Protein Energy Malnutrition Increases Prevalence of Infection, Leading to Energy Loss for the Individual
On the community level, this burden reduces productivity, including food production, and perpetuates the relentless spiral of further malnutrition, infection, disease, poverty, and socioeconomic and political instability.

References

    1. Moret Y, Schmid-Hempel P. Survival for immunity: The price of immune system activation for bumblebee workers. Science. 2000;290:1166–1168. - PubMed
    1. Scrimshaw NS, SanGiovanni JP. Synergism of nutrition, infection, and immunity: An overview. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997;66:464S–477S. - PubMed
    1. Ambrus JL, Sr, Ambrus JL., Jr Nutrition and infectious diseases in developing countries and problems of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2004;229:464–472. - PubMed
    1. Woodward B. Protein, calories, and immune defenses. Nutr Rev. 1998;56:S84–S92. - PubMed
    1. World Health Organization. Nutrition: Challenges. 2005. Available: http://www.who.int/nutrition/challenges. Accessed 29 March 2007.

MeSH terms