A panel of leading researchers and clinicians review the influence of diet on the immune system, and illuminate the extent to which diet-induced changes contribute to the occurrence or prevention of selected diseases. Topics range from the role of mineral and cofactors in the transcriptional regulation of immune maturation to the deterioration of the immune system with select nutrient deficicencies. Also reviewed are the increased demand for antioxidant protection and tissue repair created by the consequences of immune activation, and the specific protein, vitamin, and lipid needs of the immune system. Extensive coverage is given to the impact of diet on such clinical issues as breast feeding, allergies, autoimmune diseases, cancer, perioperative condition, diabetes, allograft rejection, and oral disease. Nutrition and Immunology: Principles and Practice provides a comprehensive review of the role of nutrition in health, with a major focus on how diet can reduce the onset and progression of numerous chronic diseases.