TRENDY low-carb diets promoted by celebs protect against flu, a study suggests.
They activate a special type of immune cell which creates mucus in the lungs, researchers say.
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This helps the body trap and kill the virus before it has a chance to cause severe illness. The research is a boost for low-carb keto diets which cut out bread, pasta and rice in favour of meat, fish and non-starchy veg.
They have been promoted by stars including actress Gwyneth Paltrow and reality TV star Kim Kardashian.
US scientists fed mice the keto diet and others standard grub. Fewer in the keto group died after being infected with flu. Analysis revealed the diet triggered the release of gamma delta T cells, which have not previously been linked to the virus.
Mice bred without the gene that produced the cells had no protection from flu, even on a keto diet.
Researcher Prof Akiko Iwasaki, of Yale University, said: “This was a totally unexpected finding.
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“Harnessing the beneficial effects of a ketogenic diet through gamma delta T cells may offer a potential previously unrecognised avenue for influenza disease prevention and treatment.”
Dr Jenna Macciochi, from the University of Sussex, said: “There may be a thread of scientific truth to the old adage ‘feed a cold, starve a fever’.”
Flu kills around 8,000 a year in England, official figures show.
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