Dieting may not be wise if what MSU researchers found in mice translates to humans as well. BBC reports that the MSU researchers found that mice that were fed 40% less were more likely to catch the flu. Mice fed less also took longer to recover from the flu.

The team at Michigan State University found even though the mice on the lower calorie diet received adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, their bodies were still not able to produce the number of killer cells needed to fight an infection.

As well as being more likely to die from the virus, the mice - which were consuming around 40% of the calories given to their counterparts on a normal diet - took longer to recover, lost more weight and displayed other symptoms of poor health.

"Our research shows that having a body ready to f...