New Haven, CT—The keto diet could help fight the flu, according to new research fromYale University.

A press release on the study says that mice fed a ketogenic diet and then infected with influenza had a higher survival rate than mice on a high-carb diet. The ketogenic diet triggered the release of gamma delta T cells, which produce mucus in the cell linings of the lung, effectively trapping the virus. While this subset of T cells was not previously associated with immune health, researchers are reasonably certain that it’s what made the difference: Mice bred without the gene that codes for gamma delta T cells saw no immune health benefits from Keto.
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The researchers concluded: “Harnessing the beneficial effects of [keto] through gamma delta T cells may therefore offer a potential previously unrecognized avenue for influenza disease prevention and treatment.”