Impact of Micronutrients and Macronutrients on NK Cells Immunity

Abstract

Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic lymphocytes of the innate immune system. Along with their cardinal role in eliminating virally infected and cancerous cells, they are considered as a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity. Nutrition is linked to the effective immune response, and it is known that nutrition is among the environmental factors that influence the immune function and physiology. The function of nutrients, which are dissected into micronutrients (e.g. vitamins and minerals) and macronutrients (e.g. fat, protein and carbohydrates), is to maintain the metabolism and energy which are prime to fuel NK cells. In this review, we are going to recapitulate the recent findings and available data regarding the effect of common micro and macronutrients` examples on the NK cells development and function to provide an insight into diet-immune system crosstalk.

Keywords: NK cells; Nutrition; Micronutrients; Macronutrients; diet-immune system crosstalk.