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Maybe reconsider your drink-of-choice tonight …
Modern medicine has reduced many infectious threats, yet bacteria and viruses still account for millions of deaths each year. Researchers are increasingly asking whether everyday factors, including diet, could influence how the body responds to infection.
New findings from Austria suggest that certain sugars may affect immune cells in ways that amplify inflammation, even in otherwise healthy people.
Early clues emerge
Scientists from the University of Vienna examined how different dietary sugars interact with monocytes, a type of white blood cell that helps the body detect and respond to pathogens.
The work was led by Ina Bergheim at the university’s Department of Nutritional Sciences.
According to the research team, the goal was to understand whether short-term sugar intake could alter immune reactions that are critical during bacterial infections.
The results were published in the peer-reviewed journal Redox Biology, adding to growing evidence that nutrition can shape immune behavior.
Testing two sugars
The researchers conducted two randomized trials involving healthy adult volunteers. Participants consumed drinks sweetened either with fructose (also known as fruit sugar) or glucose, allowing the scientists to compare immune responses linked to each sugar.
In parallel, the team ran laboratory experiments using isolated monocytes and cell cultures. These tests were designed to uncover the biological mechanisms behind any observed changes in immune activity.
Together, the human and lab studies offered a controlled look at how the body reacts to common dietary sugars.
Stronger inflammatory signals
The study found that fructose intake increased levels of Toll-like receptor 2 on monocytes. This receptor helps immune cells recognize bacterial components, including lipoteichoic acid.
“The concentration of receptors for such toxins in the body increased, which means that the inflammatory response increased,” Bergheim said according to SciTechDaily.
Higher receptor levels were linked to a rise in inflammatory signaling molecules such as interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor-alpha.
“These findings make an important contribution to understanding how individual food components and fructose in particular can influence the immune system,” Bergheim added.
Open questions ahead
Researchers cautioned that the study focused on short-term effects. More work is needed to assess how sustained, high fructose consumption might influence infection risk or chronic inflammation.
This question may be especially relevant for people with metabolic conditions such as type II diabetes or fatty liver disease. As Bergheim noted, “Sugar, especially the fructose in sugary drinks and sweets, has long been suspected of increasing the risk of developing metabolic diseases – this needs to be investigated.”
Sources: University of Vienna, Redox Biology, SciTechDaily
