Summary: A recent American study has found that the ketogenic (keto) diet could help regulate an overactive immune response and may potentially aid individuals with conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS) in the future. Conducted by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, the study on laboratory mice revealed that the keto diet increases anti-inflammatory compounds in the body, helping manage factors that affect MS symptoms.
In the absence of carbohydrates as an energy source, the body breaks down fats, producing compounds called "ketone bodies," which provide energy to cells and induce immune system changes. The study showed that mice producing a ketone known as "beta-hydroxybutyrate" exhibited less severe symptoms of MS. This ketone stimulates beneficial gut bacteria to produce "indole lactic acid," which prevents the activation of T-helper 17 cells—immune cells that contribute to MS and other autoimmune disorders.
Dr. Peter Turnbaugh, a researcher at the Benioff Center for Microbiome Medicine at the University of California, described the findings as groundbreaking, noting that the keto diet could protect mice from inflammatory diseases by enriching their diet with these compounds.
Further tests confirmed that the positive results stemmed from a beneficial gut bacterium, Lactobacillus murinus, which produces indole lactic acid known for its effects on the immune system. In additional experiments, when the mice were either supplemented with L. murinus or directly treated with indole lactic acid, significant improvements in MS symptoms were observed.
Although the research was conducted on mice, it opens the door for potential new treatments for MS and other autoimmune disorders through dietary supplements.
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