Functional Foods and Herbs as Potential Immunoadjuvants and Medicines in Maintaining Healthy Immune System: A Commentary

Herbs and traditional foods have been demonstrated for their effectiveness on lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension, arthritis and cancer as well as special health benefits towards body defensive mechanism(s) by strengthening immune system. Some herbs have been identified as important for daily maintenance of immune system and classified as immunotonics, which include immunostimulants, immunomodulators or immunoadjuvants. These immuno agents are known to exert overall balancing effect on immune system and are expected to augment or promote defensive system. The second category of herbs identified is largely useful for the treatment immune disorders or compromised immune system. Herbs or ayurvedic preparations with immunostimulant property have traditionally been used to treat various diseases, viz. AIDS, transplant rejections, etc. Herbs such as Astragalus memebranaceus and Panax are known to stimulate phagocytosis and cytokines production; hence, they are described as immunotonics. The ancient lineage and modern scientific scrutiny of multiple beneficial effects of functional foods and vegetative herbs provides enough opportunity to become therapeutic agents as a natural source of primary health care and rejuvenate immune system by augmenting immune function largely to maintain a healthy body. Botanicals are chemically complex and diverse; therefore, they could be used as cocktails of immuno drugs to restore immunostasis. Some herbs and traditional foods like Echinacea purpurea, Grifola frondosa, Nigella sativa, Panax ginseang, Hydrastis canadensis, Astragalus memebranaceus, Tinospora cardiofolia, Curcuma longa, Andrographis peniculata, Hyreicum perforatum, Wilhania somnifera, and Allium sativum have been identified from immunological and health benefit point of view. Recent documented reports suggest certain phytoconstituents and phytochemicals have the intrinsic ability to maintain better health by boosting the immune system, reducing inflammation and allergies as well as detoxifying contaminants, pollutants and activating enzymes that unbridled cell division. It is also suggested that nutritional intervention with fruits, beverages and vegetables might play an important role in preventing long term effects of oxidative stress on various organs and the aging process as well as improving the immune system.