Fructose increases inflammation

The study was conducted on a group of healthy adults. The participants were divided into those who drank drinks with fructose, and those who received the same dose of sweets, but in the form of glucose. After a short time, the first group had more receptors in the blood that recognize the signals of bacterial toxins. These receptors, especially Toll-like receptor 2, caused immune cells to trigger inflammation even with a mild stimulus.

What does this mean in practice? The body that drank fructose turned on inflammatory molecules faster, such as interleukin—6 and tumor necrosis factor. All this increases the inflammatory processes, even if there is no infection in the body.

Was it something dangerous? Not yet. But, according to the head of the study, even a short—term spike in receptor activity is a signal. After all, such reactions accumulate. And in people with pre-existing risks, such as diabetes or fatty liver disease, this can accelerate the deterioration of the condition.

It is especially important that fructose acted differently from glucose. Despite the same sweetness, the effect on the immune system was different. This confirms: not every sugar is equally safe. Scientists are continuing their research to find out how long-term consumption of fructose affects the immune system. So far, one thing is clear — what we drink and eat changes our body faster than it seems.

So next time, choosing between juice and water, it’s worth considering: is the sweet taste worth the outbreak of inflammation inside?