Shifting to vegan and keto diets can have positive effects on our health and immunity, says study

A study by the National Institutes of Health, detailed in Nature Medicine, has provided a glimpse into the immediate effects the dietary shifts to vegan and keto diets can have on our immune responses.

Our dietary choices are more than just about managing weight or keeping chronic diseases at bay. They're about fine-tuning the very defenses our bodies rely on. Recent investigations into how our diets affect our immune system have brought to light fascinating insights, particularly with regard to vegan and keto diets.

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Exploring the findings of the Vegan and Keto Diet study

Keto Diet (Image via Unsplash/The Matter of Food)

The study jumps on an exploration with 20 individuals who toggled between a vegan diet—free from animal products and rich in fibers and low in fats—and a ketogenic diet, noted for its minimal carb and high-fat content.

This alternating diet plan spanned four weeks, with participants switching diets halfway through, during which their blood, urine, and stool samples were collected for comprehensive analysis.

What emerged from this study was a clear indication that our bodies react quite promptly to changes in our diet, though it stopped short of labeling these changes as either positive or negative.

The vegan diet was linked to a boost in innate immunity, our body's all-encompassing guard against pathogens. On the flip side, the ketogenic diet seemed to enhance adaptive immunity, which is more about the body's ability to remember and fight off specific invaders based on past encounters and vaccinations.

The study went further to observe metabolic changes and variations in the gut microbiome, painting a picture of the broad impact our diet has on our health. It appears that switching to a vegan diet primarily affects our body's first line of defense while adopting a keto diet fine-tunes the more specialized aspects of our immune response.

Keto Diet (Image via Unsplash/Anna Pelzer)

The research provides valuable insights into how dietary choices might be tailored for disease prevention and treatment based on individual immune responses. Albeit, there is a need for further studies to clarify which individuals could benefit most from specific dietary patterns.

The study's implications extend beyond the scientific community to everyday health practices. There should also be a caution regarding the sustainability of such restrictive diets as vegan and keto. She points to larger studies advocating for plant-forward diets, like the Mediterranean diet, which have demonstrated long-term health benefits.

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This perspective suggests that while extreme dietary shifts can have immediate effects on immune function, a balanced and less restrictive approach may offer more sustainable health advantages.