It is a commonly known fact that high sugary diets can negatively impact the health of the body and cause several issues. Meanwhile, the latest study shows that this sort of diet can disrupt the proper functioning of the immune system as well. The issue occurs due to the presence of fructose, a type of sugar found in several types of foods.
This study appeared recently in Nature Communications.
Fructose is one of the naturally occurring sugars and an important component of various fruits, vegetables, and honey. This type of sugar improves overall health since it does not go through extensive processing and occurs naturally. However, the processed sweetener known as High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) may cause some health issues.
HFCS comes from cornstarch and became highly popular over the past decades. This sweetener is relatively cheap due to which several companies started using it in various products including soft drinks.
Generally, health experts suggest that this sweetener is not more harmful than other processed sugars used in food. Moreover, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there is no data to prove that this ingredient has more harm as compared to other sugars.
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This form of fructose exists in most of the commonly found food items in the market. Also, research suggests that this ingredient can lead to health problems such as diabetes, liver disease, and obesity.
In the latest study researchers investigated the effect of high sugary diets rich in fructose in mouse and human cells.
The findings of this study show that the high fructose content disrupts the immune response of the body. Moreover, it causes inflammation in the immune system. This occurs in a chain reaction in which the increased production of reactive molecules due to inflammation causes further inflammation.
The inflammation of the immune response can cause several issues such as damage to the cells and tissues. In turn, the organs do not perform their function properly which results in diseases. Moreover, the research shows that the high fructose content can also lead to obesity since it is a consequence of inflammation.
People with these sugary diets are at a high risk of infections since fructose hinders the immune response of the body. The researchers suggest that humans should understand the consequences of overconsumption of HFCS. Today, most food manufacturing companies use this ingredient in their products. This sugar gained immense popularity and its use increased over time.
According to the researchers, this study can help scientists come up with treatments to cure diseases due to this sugar. Meanwhile, people should also become more conscious about what they put into their stomachs. This sugar not only exists in sweets and fizzy drinks but is also a component of bakery items such as frozen pizza.
The increased usage of this sweetener can also lead to cancer due to the disrupted metabolism and inflammation. Researchers suggest that investigation about the ingredients in our food can help us make more informed decisions. Also, this research can help guide us through what components can cause disease in our bodies.
