Ecoimmunonutrition: a challenge for the third millennium

Clinical enteral nutrition solutions, produced by mixing chemicals or defined nutrients, have repeatedly been shown to lack important ingredients; in the formulation of these solutions several key nutrients have simply been overlooked. The aim of this particular issue of the journal is to discuss some of these nutrients that were earlier neglected, but that today have proven to have key functions, especially in stress situations such as disease. The metabolism of the body is a complex system, one can not expect that supplying the body with one or a few chemicals, natural or synthetic, will lead to maximal health and performance. Most often an amalgam of substances is needed. Only natural food has the potential to supply most of the components needed, and thereby provide effective and successful nutrition. In stress situations such as premature life, disease, or aging, or extreme conditions such as exercise, eating normal food might not be enough; in these situations supplements will prove to be of the greatest value.