Low calorie eating ‘boosts immune system’

Overweight people who switch to a low-calorie diet can boost their immune systems and even live for longer, a study has suggested.

Researchers from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University studied 46 overweight people aged from 20 to 42, the university’s newspaper, the Tufts Journal reports.

The participants ate a calorie-restricted diet for six month that included either ten or 30 per cent fewer calories than their usual diets.

All of those taking part lost weight, but they also displayed boosted immune responses of between 30 and 50 per cent.

“If we see increased resistance to infection, that’s very good evidence that we might be able to extend life,” said Simin Nikbin Meydani, director of the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts.

In March, researchers from the University of Copenhagen and Bispebjerg Hospital in Denmark found that vitamin D plays a key role in boosting the immune system.

Vitamin D is important for bone health and the NHS recommends older people consider taking a ten microgram supplement of it each day.

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