Answer:
Enteral feeding is the body’s preferred route of nutrition. Compared to TPN, enterally fed patients have a lower number of septic complications, including bacteremia, abdominal abscess, and pneumonia. It is speculated that the beneficial effects are from prevention of mucosal atrophy and decreased bacterial translocation. But there is little proof in humans. It has been [...]

Answer:
Several studies have shown that long-chain triglycerides and PUFAs in total parenteral nutrition (TPN) increase TNF-alpha, which can stimulate the fever and hypotension of septic shock. TNF production has also been shown to increase with the duration of TPN. PUFA turnover depends on the activity of phospholipases, whose activities are enhanced in trauma and sepsis. [...]

Answer:
Yes. Nutrition in general supports the immune system and the provision of certain nutrients to stressed trauma patients has been shown to lower septic complications. A 1994 study showed a significantly decreased incidence of abdominal abscess and multi-organ failure after using an enteral formula enriched with glutamine, arginine, omega-3 PUFA, nucleotides, and branched-chain amino acids. [...]

Answer:
Obesity appears to be associated with impaired immunity. Overweight patients are at greater risk for infection and bacteremia. Obesity is a risk factor for poor wound healing following surgery. Impaired T-and B-cell function has been noted in comparison to non-obese patients. Obese children and adolescents have impaired delayed-type hypersensitivity, mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation, and bactericidal capacity [...]

Answer:
Essential fatty acid deficiency (EFAD) is associated with depressed inflammatory responses. For example, depressed neutrophil chemotaxis may be related to reduced generation of the arachidonate metabolite leukotriene B4 (LTB4). In animal studies, researchers have shown that neutrophils from EFAD rats and monkeys showed decreased membrane depolarization and superoxide anion formation and depressed bactericidal capacity. Alpha-linolenic [...]

Answer:
Vitamin A has been the most extensively studied. Its deficiency causes declines in cellular immunity, as measured by delayed hypersensitivity skin testing. As the deficiency progresses, humoral immunity, as measured by serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) responses to a protein antigen (hemocyanin), also decline. Vitamin A antagonizes some of the deleterious effects of steroids on immunity [...]

Answer:
Zinc has important effects on the immune system and on wound healing. Zinc deficiency causes a profound suppressive effect on thymic function, T-lymphocyte development, lympho-proliferation, T-cell dependent B-cell functions, and resistance to infections. Conversely, zinc supplementation has been shown to enhance certain immune responses in people. Animal studies also confirm this fact. In mice, immunosuppression [...]