The second edition in the EMEA regional series will kick off with a presentation from Dr. Manfred Eggersdorfer, Professor for Healthy Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) on Optimal nutritional status for immune health – supporting the body´s fist line of defence. Viral infection outbreaks have been and will remain a regular challenge all along evolution. The current coronavirus pandemic stimulated scientists to re-assess the role of optimal nutritional status for a well-functioning immune system. A wealth of scientific papers shows that vitamins, including vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and folate; trace elements, including zinc, iron, selenium, magnesium, and copper; omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics and poly-phenols play important and complementary roles in supporting the immune system.

Key Learnings:

• Low nutritional status suppresses the immune response.
• Key nutrients of concern are the vitamins C,D, and K, and the trace minerals zinc and selenium.
• More than 130 intervention studies with nutrients in COVID-19 are ongoing.
  

This will be followed by a presentation by Dr. Andrew Myers, Co-Founder, CEO & Chief Scientific Advisor, NutraGenetics. 

Then Nikki Hancocks, Section Editor of NutraIngredients.com will chair a panel discussion and audience Q&A titled What’s next? Probing the gaps in research and opportunities for the future.

Panellists:

• Dr. Manfred Eggersdorfer, Professor for Healthy Ageing, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
• Sunna van Kampen, Founder, Tonic Health
• Dr. Alwine Kardinaal, Expertise Group Leader Nutrition & Health, Nizo
• Dr. Andrew Myers, Co-Founder, CEO & Chief Scientific Advisor, NutraGenetics