The types of fats we consume directly impacts the survival and strength of the body’s immune cells and ability to fight disease, researchers have found.
A University of Queensland team led an international collaboration that found diet could change the fat composition inside T cells – the immune cells that help protect a person from infections and cancer.
Professor Di Yu of UQ’s Frazer Institute said the research showed a diet with a lower ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) makes T cells much more resilient and resistant to cell death.
The findings mark a profound leap in understanding of how our diet directly impacts immune system function.
Our immune system relies on T cells to manage the body’s immune response.
The kinds of fats you eat…