Immunonutrition effects in patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy: an integrative review of clinical trials

Abstract

Immunonutrition involves a diet enriched with arginine, omega-3, glutamine, and nucleotides, to enhance patients' nutritional status and immunity. This study aimed to review recent evidence on the impact of immunonutrition on patients’ nutritional status and tolerance to chemotherapy. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, CENTRAL, LILACS, and SciELO databases and seven randomized controlled trials were included. Studies with a total intervention period exceeding 40 days demonstrated favorable outcomes for immunonutrition, and those with shorter interventions found no significant differences between groups for most outcomes. Prolonged intervention periods may be necessary to observe beneficial effects attributable to immunonutrition. More robust studies are required before recommending the use of immunomodulators in chemotherapy treatment.