Experts called a diet that can protect in the flu season
'25.11.2019'
Source: News Science
A ketogenic diet can protect against at least mice from the flu. This was stated by researchers from Yale University.
Science is trying to explain what kind of diet it is. A ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is a low-carb diet with a high fat content and moderate protein content. It appeared at the beginning of the last century and helped patients with epilepsy reduce the number of epileptic seizures. Recently, they began to talk about her as an effective way to reduce weight.
Some time ago, experts found that keto-diet helps suppress the formation of inflammasomes, immune system receptors that cause inflammation.
In a recent work, researchers from Yale University decided to find out how this diet will affect the body's ability to fight the flu: make it less susceptible to the "enemy" or vice versa.
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To verify this, the experts exposed two groups of mice to the influenza virus. One of them, seven weeks before the start of the experiment, scientists began to feed according to the rules of keto diets (90% fat, 9% protein and 1% carbohydrates), and the second group of animals - a different diet: 18% fat, 58% carbohydrates and 24% protein.
It turned out that the rodents "sitting" on the keto diet were less susceptible to infection and showed a greater survival rate during illness compared to the control group.
Investigating a potential defense mechanism, the researchers found higher levels of gamma delta T cells (gamma delta T cells) in lung mice that fed all the rules of keto-diet.
To find out if they correctly identified the protective mechanism, the researchers introduced rodents that were not able to produce these cells.
Scientists fed these GM animals according to all the rules of the keto diet and then exposed to the influenza virus. It turned out that the mice had no additional resistance to the virus. Therefore, it is these immune cells that play an important protective role.
Interestingly, the third group of mice was fed simple high-fat foods (but this diet cannot be called a keto diet). In the lungs of these rodents, experts also found an increase in the content of gamma-delta T cells, but nevertheless this did not give them any special protection against the virus.
Perhaps, experts suggest, protection from the virus is based on some broader metabolic process caused by keto-diet.
However, not all experts believe that such results will be similar for people. Michelle Tate of the Hudson Institute for Medical Research recalls the differences between mice and humans.
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“In addition, the study was conducted using genetically engineered mice, which are different from normal laboratory rodents. They used a strain of the influenza virus that causes disease in mice, not humans. More research is needed in humans and with the human influenza virus, ”said Tate.
A scientific article on the results of the work was published in the publication Science Immunology.
The material is published for educational purposes and is not a medical recommendation. ForumDaily Woman is not responsible for the consequences of self-medication and may not share the views of the author or expert.
