Asthma: This diet could relieve the discomfort

The symptoms of Asthma may be due to a ketogenic diet significantly alleviated. In experiments on mice, researchers found at the end of the University of Bonn that a ketogenic diet reduced inflammation of the respiratory tract significantly.

The new study at the University of Bonn suggests that people with Asthma could benefit from a ketogenic diet, reported the research team from his results. So, it has been shown in mice that were switched to a ketogenic diet, a significantly lower inflammation of the respiratory tract. Were published the results of the study in the journal “Immunity”.

Asthma is characterized by inflammation of the bronchi

In Asthma show already as a result of contact with low concentrations of some allergens, violent inflammation of the bronchi, explain the researchers. These are also accompanied by an increased production of mucus, by which the breathing is more difficult.

Innate Lymphoid Cells with a key function

A Central role in Asthma, cells of the innate immune system that were only discovered a few years ago, and Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILC) are called, the communication of the University of Bonn play. Because the ILC in the lung is an important protective function by regenerating damaged mucous membranes. This is done by producing inflammatory messenger substances from the group of cytokines, which are the mucous membrane to stimulate cell division and the production of mucus encourage.

Mucus production usually a protective mechanism

The production of mucus is actually very useful, because the body can repair by pathogens or harmful substances, caused damage quickly, the mucus carries pathogens out of the bronchi and the respiratory protects against a re-infestation, report the researchers. However, “in Asthma, the inflammatory reaction is far stronger and longer than normally”, emphasized Prof. Dr. Christoph Wilhelm from the Institute for Clinical chemistry and pharmacology at the University of Bonn. The result of extreme respiratory are ailments which can even be life-threatening.

So a rapid multiplication of the ILC success in Asthma, and these produce large quantities of Pro-inflammatory cytokines. Could their division, however, the brakes could be controlled, the excessive reaction probably. And exactly here, a ketogenic diet could help possibly.

ILC are dependent on fatty acids

The researchers discovered that the ILC are dependent for their growth on fatty acids. “Enabled the ILC to take up fatty acids from their environment and store them temporarily in your interior in small droplets, an important intermediate step, resulting membranes to generate,” explains Dr. Fotios Karagiannis of the University of Bonn. Here, the researchers asked themselves the question, what happens if you force the cells to use these fatty acids otherwise.

Ketogenic diet changes the metabolism

In mice with Asthma, they investigated whether a so-called ketogenic diet, which is based primarily on healthy fats and low in carbohydrates, and proteins, which comprises the impact on the ILC. Because of this diet, the metabolism of cells so that the energy is derived mainly from the burning of fat. The fatty acids that you need for the formation of new membranes during cell division in the absence of the ILC.

Reduced Asthma Symptoms

The researchers have actually found that the division activity of the ILC went back to the appropriately-fed rodents is significantly. Have increased normally in contact with allergens, the number of ILC in the bronchi by a multiple of Four, so they had remained in the experimental animals, however, is almost constant. “According to both the production of mucus as well as other symptoms of asthma decreased,” says Prof. Wilhelm.

Glucose deficiency is also of importance

Probably just the switch to fats as an alternative energy source, and the resulting fatty acid shortage for the lower ILC activity is crucial, but also the glucose deficiency had probably a share. “Asthma has increased in the last decades of frequency. Maybe that also has to do with the sugar and fat together richer diet,“ said Prof. Wilhelm.

Ketogenic diet also in humans effective against Asthma?

In the next step, clinical studies in humans are planned, in which it is checked whether or not a ketogenic diet Asthma can help prevent flare-UPS. There is, however, not in the long term, quite dangerous, it should only be performed after medical consultation. “We are trying to figure out which components of the Diet for the effect are responsible” and “may have opened the way for the development of new drugs,” says Professor Wilhelm. (fp)