Sugary soft drinks cause inflammation and alter the genes of gut bacteria.

If there is sugary soft drink in the glass you are holding or in the plastic bottle you just bought, think before you drink.

Illustration photo.

According to new research published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Communications, consuming soft drinks containing white sugar can alter the DNA of intestinal bacteria, thereby negatively affecting the body's immune system.

Scientists from the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) warn that white sugar – especially in soft drinks – can alter the immune function and genetic makeup of the symbiotic bacteria in the digestive tract. However, the good news is that these effects are reversible – if sugar consumption is stopped.

The research team conducted studies in mice and in a laboratory environment. They clarified the link between carbohydrate consumption (especially white sugar) and changes in the DNA and immunomodulatory functions of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (B. theta) - a gut bacteria strain that plays an important role in protecting the intestinal mucosa and preventing inflammation.

According to the research team, the gut microbiome - a diverse collection of bacteria living in the digestive tract - plays a key role in human health, especially the development and regulation of the immune system.

However, not only the bacterial composition but also the immune function of each bacterial strain is very different - and can even be opposite (enhancing or inhibiting the inflammatory response). Therefore, it is very important to study in depth the function of each bacterial strain under different nutritional conditions.

Through analysis, scientists found that consuming white sugar - found in non-diet soft drinks and sweet tea/coffee - caused "DNA inversions" in B. theta bacteria. As a result, the bacteria changed their ability to regulate immunity, increased inflammatory markers, altered T-cell numbers, affected cytokine secretion, and affected intestinal permeability.

Notably, when mice were given sugar water, DNA changes in bacteria occurred rapidly - leading to an adverse immune response. When mice stopped consuming white sugar, the bacterial DNA returned to its original state, and the immune system gradually recovered. This opens up the prospect of personalizing diets based on gut bacteria responses - aiming to improve individual health and immunity.

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