Two diets (vegan and ketogenic) rapidly impact immune system

A NIH study finds distinct immune responses occur quickly when diets change. This study was conducted by Yasmine Belkaid, now President of the Institut Pasteur (Paris), and her former research team at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Scientific understanding of how different diets impact the human immune system and microbiome is limited. Therapeutic nutritional interventions—which involve changing the diet to improve health—are not well understood, and few studies have directly compared the effects of more than one diet.

The study observes rapid and distinct immune system changes when people switched to a vegan diet (animal product-free, high in fiber and low in fat) or a ketogenic diet (also called keto; high-fat, low-sugar).

•    The vegan diet prompted responses linked to innate immunity —the body’s generalized first line of defense against pathogens—.  

•    The keto diet prompted responses associated with adaptive immunity —pathogen-specific immunity built through vaccination and exposures in daily life—

•    Additionally, both diets caused changes in the microbiomes of the participants.

More research is needed to understand what implications these observations could have on nutritional interventions for diseases such as cancer or inflammatory conditions.

From March 1, 2024, Professor Yasmine Belkaid – in addition to her role as President of the Institut Pasteur (Paris) – will head the Meta-organism Unit, part of the Immunology Department within the Institut Pasteur

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