Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) Health Sciences Faculty, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics academic staff member Prof. Dr. H. Tanju Besler acted as issue editor for the ‘ Türkiye Klinikleri Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics-Special Topics 2016” journal. Prof. Dr. Besler who acted as editor for the ‘Nutrition and Immune System Special Edition’ of the journal ensured that 22 different articles, written by academicians from distinguished universities were published.
The special edition also featured the articles Breast Milk’s Effects on the Immune System and Microbiota written by EMU Department of Nutrition and Dietetics academic staff member Assist. Prof. Dr. Seray Karabam and the article Adipose Tissue and Immune System Interactions: The Potential Impacts of Obesity and Energy Limitations written by EMU Department of Nutrition and Dietetics academic staff member Assist. Prof. Dr. Ceren Gezer.
In the editor’s note Prof. Dr. Besler drew attention to the fact that energy inside of food, nutritional elements, structures that aren’t nutritional elements but have important functions in the organism, and biologically active elements (such as phytochemicals) can directly affect the immune system or an immune response. In addition, he noted that food can indirectly affect the immune system by affecting other systems (hypothalamus and pituitary gland) and organs (adipose tissue, small intestine) Prof. Dr. Besler noted that the hormones secreted by these organs depends on the metabolic response to the energy received as well as the quality and amount of the nutritional element. These hormones can affect the activity of other immune system cell groups via adipokinines and special intestinal cytokines.
