Foods Capable of Improving Immune Functions in
Subjects in an Immunocompromised State.
Cancer patients are usually immunosuppressed and at high risk
of infection due to a reduction of immune functions. Therefore,
foods capable of enhancing the immune responses of cancer
patients with disturbed immune functions are valuable.
Invading pathogenic bacteria or viruses are captured and
killed by phagocytes such as neutrophils and macrophages,
and NK cells recognize and lyse infected cells. Activated NK
cells and T cells produce huge amounts of IFN-, which
further augments the anti-bacterial activity of macrophages
(103–106).