Caloric restriction can reduce production of TNF and other inflammatory cytokines by the liver. A growing body of evidence suggests that metabolic syndrome (syndrome X, with obesity, hypertension, elevated cholesterol and trigylcerides) is partly due to an elevation of inflammatory cytokines. These cytokines may be reduced by caloric restriction, aka dieting. PMID:9089573 (cache),
PMID:15277374 (cache)

It is not clear, however, that cutting back on food would prevent the specific type of chemical changes that lead to massive overproduction of TNF in avian flu infections.

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