According to the latest research, shifting to a vegan diet can activate responses related to innate immunity, the immune system one is born with. Conversely, adopting a keto diet—characterized by high fat and low carbs—may initiate responses typically associated with adaptive immunity, the immune system developed over time in response to external infections and vaccinations.
Alongside modifications in the immune system, shifts in the participants’ gut microbiome were also identified by researchers at the National Institutes of Health in the US. However, they underscored the need for additional research before deeming these alterations in immunity and gut composition as ‘beneficial’ or ‘detrimental,’ as outlined in their study published in the journal Nature Medicine.
The team mentioned that the impact of the findings on therapeutic nutritional interventions, specifically in the context of diseases like cancer or inflammatory conditions, is still unknown.
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For the study, researchers closely monitored the biological responses of 20 participants over a two-week period. The participants were randomly divided into two groups, each assigned either a vegan or a keto diet. Using a “multi-omics” approach, the team analyzed multiple data sets to evaluate the body’s biochemical, cellular, metabolic, and immune responses, in addition to examining changes in the microbiome.
Upon analysis of the data, it became evident that the keto diet exhibited a greater influence on proteins in both the blood and blood plasma, as well as in the brain and bone marrow, when compared to the vegan diet.
It was also discovered that the vegan diet stimulated more pathways associated with red blood cells, including those responsible for haemoglobin production. This effect is likely attributed to the diet’s rich iron content, according to their findings.
The researchers also noted that individuals following the vegan diet, characterized by 10 percent fat and 75 percent carbohydrates, opted for a lower calorie intake compared to those adhering to the keto diet, which comprised approximately 75 percent fat and 10 percent carbohydrates.
The researchers observed distinctive metabolic and immune system changes resulting from both diets, even considering the diversity among participants in terms of ethnicity, race, gender, body mass index (BMI), and age.
According to the findings, the immune system exhibited a surprisingly swift response to nutritional interventions, indicating the potential for customizing diets to prevent or complement the treatment of diseases. This could involve slowing down processes associated with conditions like cancer or neurodegenerative disorders. Consequently, the researchers emphasized the necessity for further investigation to explore the specific impacts of these nutritional interventions on different facets of the immune system.
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