Macro partitioning
A 2-week ketogenic diet significantly upregulates adaptive immune pathways (T cell activation, oxidative phosphorylation) and alters microbiome amino acid metabolism, whereas a vegan diet upregulates innate immune pathways (antiviral responses, type I interferon) and erythrocyte differentiation.
Switching to a ketogenic diet for just two weeks shifts your immune system toward adaptive responses (T cells, oxidative phosphorylation), while a vegan diet shifts it toward innate/antiviral responses. This suggests diet can be used as a tool to modulate specific immune pathways, potentially relevant for managing inflammation or infection risk, though long-term disease outcomes require further study.
Our data revealed that overall, a ketogenic diet was associated with a significant upregulation of pathways and enrichment in cells associated with the adaptive immune system. In contrast, a vegan diet had a significant impact on the innate immune system, including upregulation of pathways associated with antiviral immunity.
Why this rating
High-quality multi-omics data from a controlled clinical trial (NCT03878108) with 20 participants, though sample size is small.
Source
Differential peripheral immune signatures elicited by vegan versus ketogenic diets in humans
Verena M. Link et al. · Nature Medicine · 2024
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