Tag: Host defense

According to the World Health Organization, undernutrition is a contributing factor in nearly half of all child deaths, illustrating the severe effects of infection on host nutrition. All infections, regardless of severity, can disrupt the body's delicate nutritional balance through a cascade of metabolic, hormonal, and immunological responses.

As part of a host defense mechanism known as nutritional immunity, the body actively withholds iron from invaders. This critical tactic explains why we can't give iron during infection, as doing so provides essential nutrients to pathogens, potentially exacerbating the illness and interfering with antibiotic efficacy.