A functional immune system is essential for healthy life. This is achieved by the coordinate activation and interaction of different immune cells. One should be aware that activation of the immune response is as important as its deactivation when the pathogens are cleared, as otherwise host tissue can be damaged up to life-threatening levels.

Autoimmune diseases (AID) represent a phenomenon of immune cells attacking host cells and tissue. Five to eight percent of the world's population are currently affected by 80–100 AID. In recent years, the incidence has been constantly increasing, reaching alarmingly high numbers particularly for type 1 diabetes mellitus, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome and multiple sclerosis. This indicates a higher societal burden of AID for the future. This article provides an overview of general concepts of triggers and underlying mechanisms leading to self-destruction. Lately, several original concepts of disease etiology were revised, and there is a variety of hypotheses on triggers, underlying mechanisms and preventive actions.

This article concentrates on the importance of nutrition, especially zinc and vitamin D, for balancing the immune function. Homespun nutritional remedies seem to reenter today’s therapeutic strategies. Current treatment approaches are largely symptomatic or suppress the immune system. However, recent studies reveal significant benefits of nutrition-related therapeutic approaches including prevention and treatment of established disease, which offer a cost-efficient and trigger-unspecific alternative addressing balancing rather than suppression of the immune system. Zinc and vitamin D are currently the best studied and most promising candidates for therapeutic intervention.

功能性免疫系统对于健康生活至关重要。这是通过不同免疫细胞的协调激活和相互作用来实现的。人们应该意识到，清除病原体后，免疫反应的激活与其失活同等重要，因为否则宿主组织可能会受到破坏，直至危及生命的程度。

自身免疫性疾病（AID）代表免疫细胞攻击宿主细胞和组织的现象。目前，有80％至100％的艾滋病感染了世界人口的5％至8％。近年来，发病率一直在增加，达到惊人的高水平，特别是对于1型糖尿病，克罗恩病，类风湿性关节炎，干燥综合征和多发性硬化症。这表明未来AID的社会负担更高。本文概述了导致自我毁灭的触发器和潜在机制的一般概念。最近，对疾病病因学的一些原始概念进行了修订，并且关于触发因素，潜在机制和预防措施的假设也多种多样。

本文重点讨论营养（尤其是锌和维生素D）对于平衡免疫功能的重要性。自制营养疗法似乎重新进入了当今的治疗策略。当前的治疗方法主要是对症治疗或抑制免疫系统。但是，最近的研究表明，与营养有关的治疗方法具有显着的益处，包括预防和治疗已确诊的疾病，这些方法可提供一种经济高效且触发特异性的解决平衡而不是抑制免疫系统的替代方法。锌和维生素D是目前治疗研究最深入，最有前途的候选药物。