Despite medical advances, infectious diseases caused by bacteria and viruses are still among the most common causes of death worldwide. What role could fructose play in such diseases? A research group led by Ina Bergheim from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Vienna has now been able to prove for the first time that monocytes, important immune cells in the blood, react more strongly to bacterial toxins after fructose consumption - but not in a positive way. Specifically, the concentration of receptors for certain bacterial toxins increases, making the body more susceptible to inflammation. The study was recently published in the journal Redox Biology.

For animals, sleeping on their left side is not about comfort. It is a survival strategy.