雅思阅读 121: Lunch Boosts Immune Cells Within Hours

改编自 Scientific American 2026 年真实文章，去广告后按雅思阅读题型出题。

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Reading Passage

"Starve a cold, feed a fever" is an old myth. But according to new research, the timing of when we eat in the short term may play a role in how our bodies fight off infections. The findings were published in the journal Nature.

Researchers analyzed blood samples taken before breakfast from 31 study participants, and then again six hours later, after the participants had eaten breakfast and lunch. The researchers found that their T cells, a type of immune cell, in the post-lunch blood draws appeared better prepared to fight off infection than their T cells upon waking, after not eating for hours.

The "fed" T cells were "functionally better," says Greg Delgoffe, the study's senior author and an immunologist at the University of Pittsburgh. "They were better at doing the things that T cells do."

T cells, or T lymphocytes, are like the immune system's soldiers. They abide in the body's tissues, ready to spring into action to fend off viruses, bacteria and cancer cells. When T cells spot a pathogen, they activate and multiply into an army of fighters. In the T cells collected after a meal, those abilities were enhanced.

In further experiments in mice, the researchers found that the type of food also mattered. Eating a fat-rich diet, in this case corn oil, emerged as key to boosting the T cells' abilities when compared with carbohydrate- or protein-rich diets.

Interestingly, the T cells seem to hold on to the advantage provided by a good meal. When Delgoffe and his colleagues looked at the same cells a week later, after they had divided, the T cells from the post-meal state still retained their edge. This finding was similar in mice.

The study does not answer whether humans should eat a fatty meal if they are worried about getting sick. Rather, the results support the idea that a well-balanced diet, including healthy fats, may help strengthen our immune response to pathogens. "We don't want somebody out there just chugging a gallon of corn oil," Delgoffe says.

Ultimately, he hopes the findings could help scientists better design T cell therapies that target cancer cells, or diets that boost our body's response to treatments such as vaccines. "We're very, very excited about where things are going next," Delgoffe says.

The research adds to a growing body of evidence showing that nutrition has immediate and measurable effects on immune function. While long-term diet has long been known to influence health, this study shows that even a single meal can change the behavior of immune cells within hours. The mechanism appears to involve how nutrients are processed and made available to T cells after eating.

However, the study has limitations. It was based on a relatively small number of human participants, and the mouse experiments used specific types of fats. More research is needed to understand how different foods affect immune responses in different populations. Delgoffe cautions that the findings should not be interpreted as a reason to overeat or consume unhealthy fats. Instead, they highlight the importance of regular, balanced meals for maintaining immune readiness.

Questions 1-5

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

1. What did the study compare?

   • A. Blood samples before and after meals.
   • B. Different types of viruses.
   • C. T cells from mice and humans only.
   • D. Breakfast and dinner menus.

2. What are T cells compared to?

   • A. The immune system soldiers.
   • B. The brain neurons.
   • C. The digestive enzymes.
   • D. The blood platelets.

3. Which type of food boosted T cells most in mice?

   • A. A carbohydrate-rich diet.
   • B. A protein-rich diet.
   • C. A fat-rich diet.
   • D. A sugar-rich diet.

4. How long did the post-meal T cell advantage last?

   • A. Only a few hours.
   • B. At least one week after cell division.
   • C. Just during the meal.
   • D. Less than one hour.

5. What does Delgoffe caution?

   • A. People should drink corn oil daily.
   • B. People should not overeat unhealthy fats.
   • C. T cell therapies are useless.
   • D. Vaccines are unnecessary.

Questions 6-8

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the passage? Write:

• TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
• FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
• NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

6. The study was published in a medical journal.
7. All participants were given corn oil to drink.
8. The researchers studied only human participants.

Questions 9-13

Complete the summary below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

The study found that post-meal T cells were functionally better at fighting infection. Fat-rich foods appeared to boost T cell abilities most. The advantage persisted even after the cells divided a week later. The findings suggest that a balanced diet, including healthy fats, may strengthen immune response.

Answers

1. A
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. B
6. TRUE
7. FALSE
8. FALSE
9. functionally
10. fat-rich
11. divided

Key Vocabulary

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