The benefits and risks of nutritional therapies in the prevention and management of infectious\r\ndiseases in the developed world are reviewed. There is strong evidence that early enteral feeding\r\nof patients prevents infections in a variety of traumatic and surgical illnesses. There is, however,\r\nlittle support for similar early feeding in medical illnesses. Parenteral nutrition increases the risk of\r\ninfection when compared to enteral feeding or delayed nutrition. The use of gastric feedings\r\nappears to be as safe and effective as small bowel feedings. Dietary supplementation with glutamine\r\nappears to lower the risk of post-surgical infections and the ingestion of cranberry products has\r\nvalue in preventing urinary tract infections in women.
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