Mice that consumed a "keto" diet were better able to combat the influenza infection compared to those that consumed food high in carbs, a research study shows.
The ketogenic, or keto, diet—which for individuals consists of meat, fish, chicken, and non-starchy vegetables—activates a subset of T cells in the lungs not formerly associated with the immune system's reaction to influenza, improving mucous manufacturing from air passage cells that can effectively catch the infection, the scientists record.
"This was a completely unexpected finding," says co-senior writer Akiko Iwasaki, teacher of immunobiology and molecular, mobile and developing biology at Yale College, and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Clinical Institute.
The research project was the brainchild of 2 trainees—one operating in Iwasaki's laboratory and the various other with co-senior writer Visha Deep Dixit, teacher of relative medication and of immunobiology.
Ryan Molony operated in Iwasaki's laboratory, which had found that body immune system activators called inflammasomes can cause hazardous body immune system responses in their hold. Emily Goldberg operated in Dixit's laboratory, which had revealed that the ketogenic diet obstructed development of inflammasomes.
Both wondered if diet could affect body immune system reaction to pathogens such as the influenza infection.
They revealed that mice fed a ketogenic diet and contaminated with the influenza infection had a greater survival rate compared to mice on a high-carb normal diet. Particularly, the scientists found that the ketogenic diet set off the launch of gamma delta T cells, body immune system cells that produce mucous in the cell cellular linings of the lung—while the high-carbohydrate diet didn't.
When mice were reproduced without the gene that codes for gamma delta T cells, the ketogenic diet provided no protection versus the influenza infection.
"This study shows that the way the body sheds fat to produce ketone bodies from the food we consume can fuel the body immune system to combat influenza infection," Dixit says.The study shows up in Scientific research Immunology.The study shows up in Scientific research Immunology.
