The new study was conducted by Swansea scientists who collaborated with scientists of the University and the Francis Crick Institute in London also joined to demonstrate that consuming a diet (fructose diet) that has high sugar fructose may disturb the functioning of people’s immune systems in many ways that have largely been unknown till now.
The study suggests that the immune system became inflamed. In this process, a high amount of reactive molecules can be produced that are linked with inflammation. They stated that inflammation might cause damage to the tissues and cells, which leads to disease.
What Is Fructose?
Fructose is a natural sugar that is commonly found in fruits, honey, fruit juices, and even some vegetables.
Pure fructose is sweeter than other varieties of sugar. People use less fructose than normal sugars in cooking to get the same sweetness.
Fructose is commonly used in food items, including sugary drinks, processed foods, and sweets, and is widely used in food production. Nowadays, fructose intake has been increasing as a result, it is connected with type 2 diabetes, obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
How Fructose Diet Can Harm the Immune System?
Understanding the effect of fructose on the immune system should not be overlooked. This study appears in the journal Nature Communications. Scientists from the above-mentioned universities are combined with working on this study to analyze how human and mouse cells respond to fructose exposure.
Their examinations described that a fructose diet may weaken the function of the immune system and become inflamed. The sugar may adjust metabolic pathways to increase the production of more reactive inflammatory cytokines.
The author wrote in their paper, “fructose reprograms cellular metabolic pathways to favor glutaminolysis and oxidative metabolism, which are required to support increased inflammatory cytokine production.”
This kind of inflammation can harm cells and tissues, contribute to organ damage, and immune systems that do not work properly may develop the disease.
Dr. Emma Vincent, a study author and research fellow at Bristol Medical School explained that “Our study is exciting because it takes us a step further toward understanding why some diets can lead to ill health.”
The study also shows a deeper understanding of how fructose has associated with diabetes and obesity, low-level inflammation often linked to obesity.
It also presents evidence to public health producers about causing effects of consuming high levels of fructose.
Dr. Nick Jones from Swansea University’s Medical School stated “Research into different components of our diet can help us understand what might contribute to inflammation and disease and what could be best harnessed to improve health and wellbeing.”
Scientists from this study are hopeful that their evidence will lead to further research to help researchers develop treatments for a range of illnesses that include infectious diseases and cancer.
