By U. of Vienna, Dec. 22, 2025
https://scitechdaily.com/what-one-fructose-drink-does-to-the-immune-system/
https://scitechdaily.com/what-one-fructose-drink-does-to-the-immune-system/
Fructose consumption has been found to increase immune cell sensitivity to bacterial toxins, resulting in more pronounced inflammatory responses. These changes occurred even in healthy people after short-term intake.
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Even with modern medicine, infections caused by bacteria and viruses remain a leading cause of death worldwide.
Scientists are now exploring whether diet may play a role in shaping the body’s response to these threats. A research team led by Ina Bergheim from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Vienna has shown for the first time that consuming fructose causes monocytes, key immune cells in the blood, to respond more strongly to bacterial toxins in a harmful way. The study found that fructose increases the number of receptors that detect these toxins, which can intensify inflammation. The findings were published in the journal Redox Biology.
How Fructose and Glucose Affect Immune Responses
To examine how different sugars influence the immune system, researchers carried out two randomized studies involving healthy adults. Participants consumed beverages sweetened with fructose or glucose, allowing the scientists to compare how each sugar affected immune activity. Alongside these human studies, the team also performed experiments using isolated monocytes and cell culture models to better understand the biological processes involved.
To examine how different sugars influence the immune system, researchers carried out two randomized studies involving healthy adults. Participants consumed beverages sweetened with fructose or glucose, allowing the scientists to compare how each sugar affected immune activity. Alongside these human studies, the team also performed experiments using isolated monocytes and cell culture models to better understand the biological processes involved.
Fructose Raises Receptors That Detect Bacterial Toxins
The researchers found that fructose intake, unlike glucose, increased the levels of Toll-like receptor 2 in monocytes. Toll-like receptor 2 plays an important role in regulating immune responses. As the concentration of this receptor rose, monocytes became more sensitive to lipoteichoic acid, a toxin produced by certain bacteria.
“The concentration of receptors for such toxins in the body increased, which means that the inflammatory response increased,” explains study leader Ina Bergheim from the University of Vienna. The heightened sensitivity also led to greater release of pro-inflammatory messengers, including interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, 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,” says Bergheim. “They indicate that even short-term, high fructose consumption in healthy people can influence the immune system and increase inflammation.”
The researchers found that fructose intake, unlike glucose, increased the levels of Toll-like receptor 2 in monocytes. Toll-like receptor 2 plays an important role in regulating immune responses. As the concentration of this receptor rose, monocytes became more sensitive to lipoteichoic acid, a toxin produced by certain bacteria.
“The concentration of receptors for such toxins in the body increased, which means that the inflammatory response increased,” explains study leader Ina Bergheim from the University of Vienna. The heightened sensitivity also led to greater release of pro-inflammatory messengers, including interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, 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,” says Bergheim. “They indicate that even short-term, high fructose consumption in healthy people can influence the immune system and increase inflammation.”
Implications for Metabolic Health and Future Research
The researchers emphasize that further studies are needed to determine how long-term, consistently high fructose intake may affect immune function and vulnerability to infection. This is especially important for people in higher-risk groups, such as those with type II diabetes mellitus or fatty liver disease, which is associated with metabolic dysfunction.
“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,” says Bergheim.
The researchers emphasize that further studies are needed to determine how long-term, consistently high fructose intake may affect immune function and vulnerability to infection. This is especially important for people in higher-risk groups, such as those with type II diabetes mellitus or fatty liver disease, which is associated with metabolic dysfunction.
“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,” says Bergheim.
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What poorly described research, are they talking about, a concentrated processed fructose, or fruit juice, or what comes in an apple or an orange?
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