Many of you may have heard of the
ketogenic diet before , while others have even tried it. Opinions on
this diet are often conflicting, especially with
regard to weight loss.
But in recent years, unexpected and often very positive virtues have emerged . These include the possibility of preventing or
improving conditions related to cognitive deficits and Alzheimer’s. However,
new research has highlighted how the ketogenic diet (also) helps
fight the flu. Here are the results of the new study published in Science
Immunology. What is the ketogenic diet
The ketogenic diet is a diet based on the
drastic reduction of carbohydrates in favor of fats. This solution,
paradoxically, would help to lose weight, strengthen the immune system and
improve the health of the nervous and cardiovascular systems. The Ketogenic Flu Diet
Reducing carbohydrate consumption and getting
more fat could help protect us from the flu. In short, it
would be a question of strictly following the so-called
ketogenic diet. In fact, a recent study showed how this kind of
diet is able to increase the number of immune cells.
Ketogenic diet against the fluBurn more fat and fight the flu
Thanks to the ketogenic diet, the body learns to burn
fat better by optimizing energy production. But that’s not all: it improves
heart health, blood sugar conditions and reduces the inflammation associated with the
flu and gout. To support him and the team of the Yale School of
Medicine led by Professor Akiko Iwasaki. The first results of their study
showed how such a diet reduced the inflammation
of gout-affected mice. Since this type of condition also occurs
in people affected, they wanted to test its effects. The study
To understand the effects of the ketogenic diet, the group
The research looked at some mice with influenza A – the most
severe type of influenza virus. The small rodents were divided into two
groups: the first followed a standard diet and the other a keto diet.
Four days later, all mice affected by the virus died, while those
fed the ketogenic diet the death rate dropped to 50%.
In addition, those who survived did not lose too much weight as happens in
animals suffering from severe flu. Why the keto diet fights the flu
Scientists found that this diet
increased the number of a specific type of T-cells.
led to greater protection in the lungs and optimized
mucus production. “This was a
totally unexpected discovery […] It seems that this extra mucus is important to
protect the mice – explains Iwasaki, as it traps the flu virus
to prevent it from spreading. However, it is still unclear what these
T cells do outside of this study. ‘ The link between diet and immunity
“We already knew a link between diet and immunity,” says John Tregoning of Imperial College London, “eating foods rich in vitamin C, for example, is known to strengthen our immune systems. Switching to a keto diet can help strengthen the immune system so that it is best programmed to fight the infection, ”concludes Tregoning.
Read also: all the benefits of the ketogenic diet Scientific sources
Ketogenic diet activates protective T cell responses against influenza virus infection – Emily L. Goldberg1,2, Ryan D. Molony2,3, Eriko Kudo2, Sviatoslav Sidorov1, Yong Kong4, Vishwa Deep Dixit1, 2,5, * and Akiko Iwasaki – Science Immunology Nov 15, 2019 – DOI: 10.1126 / sciimmunol.aav2026
