(ANSA) - ROME, FEBRUARY 23 - It is found in sugary drinks, sweets, processed foods and is widely used in food production.
Fructose, when used in large quantities in the diet, could prevent people's immune systems from functioning properly in ways that, until now, were largely unknown.
It stimulates inflammation in the immune system and this process causes more reactive molecules associated with the inflammation to be produced.
This can damage cells and tissues and help cause organs and systems in the body not to function as they should and could lead to disease.
This was found by a research from the University of Swansea, published in Nature Communications. The intake of fructose in important quantities is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its consumption has increased significantly in recent years in the developed world.
However, understanding of the impact of this sugar on the immune system of people who consume it in high levels has so far been limited. The research also leads to a greater understanding of the mechanisms by which fructose could be linked precisely to diabetes and obesity, as low-intensity inflammation is linked to these two diseases, particularly to excess weight. (HANDLE).