Ketone bodies, which are actively released during fasting, nourish immune cells, according to a study conducted by scientists and staff at the Van Andel Institute (USA).
This research helps us better understand how diet affects the immune system. The findings, published in the journal Immunity, could pave the way for future personalized nutrition recommendations to improve treatment of infections, cancer and other diseases.
The findings focus on ketone bodies, which are regularly produced by the liver but become more abundant when the body lacks glucose, which acts as the main source of energy for cells. This can happen during physical activity, such as exercise, when cells quickly burn fuel, or during fasting, when there is little food to break down into glucose.
To compensate, the liver increases its production of ketone bodies to nourish the brain and other organs. Research shows that ketone bodies also nourish immune cells. And this unexpected discovery sheds light on new connections between nutrition and immunity.
Like other cells in the body, T cells, soldiers of the immune system, absorb nutrients (such as glucose) from our diet to generate energy necessary for their life and work. Scientists have demonstrated that T cells prefer ketone bodies to glucose as a fuel source. They also found that ketone bodies improve T-cell function by reprogramming them to better neutralize threats. Conversely, loss of the ability to process ketone bodies causes defects in T cell function and reduces their ability to fight infection.
The authors suggest that ketone bodies may be an evolutionary fail-safe that strengthens the immune system when nutritional resources are limited. substances are limited, for example, when appetite is suppressed during illness.