Fructose Boosts immunity, But Mayโฃ Trigger Excessive Inflammation
Scientists at the University of Viennaโค have discovered โthat fructose, the sugar found in soft drinks and sweets, increases immune system activity. While this might โsound beneficial, it โcan also lead to an overactive โฃinflammatory response.
Fructose is naturally present โin โfruit, butโข is โheavily consumed through sugaryโค drinks, energy drinks,โค and sweets. A single liter of regular soda โcontains roughly 90 grams of sugar, โขhalf of โขwhich is fructose – aโ importent amount.
How Fructose Impacts Your Body
Your blood contains immune cellsโ that are the first line of defense against bacteria.โ These cells have receptors โขon their โsurface that detect bacteria โand โtrigger an immune โresponse.
Researchers found that fructose causes immuneโค cells to increase theโฃ production of these receptors. This effect isn’t seen withโ glucose,the other sugar component of table sugar.
As a result, when immune โcells are exposedโ to fructose then encounter bacteria, they release three to six times more inflammatory substances โขcompared to cells not exposed to fructose.
The Double-Edged Sword of Inflammation
A robust immune responseโ is generally positive, but inflammation is a โฃdouble-edged sword. โ Chronic โคinflammation โcan be harmful. Individuals with conditions โขlikeโ type 2 diabetes โexperience more frequent and severe infections,โข and have a higher mortality rate from โthem. A constantlyโ activated immune system can ultimately damage healthy tissues.
Confirmed in โHuman Trials
These โfindings weren’t โคlimited to lab studies. Researchers โขtested their results on healthy volunteers who drank a liter of a high-fructose beverage. Two hours later, their immune cells showed a significantly stronger reaction to bacterial โขsubstances โthen โคafter consuming a drink with a different carbohydrate.
The team also pinpointed how fructose causes this effect. The way theโค body metabolizes fructose activates specific proteins that heighten โคthe sensitivity of immune cells. Blocking this process largely reversed the effect.
Significant Considerations
It’s crucial to note that this study focused on โthe short-term effects of fructose in healthyโฃ young adults. Further research is needed to determine if similar effects occur with long-term fructose consumption, โor in individuals already battling illness.
