The immune system responds to a fast food diet in much the same way as it does to a bacterial infection, according to a study on mice, raising new questions about just how damaging regular trips to burger and pizza chains could be to our health.
Mice fed the equivalent of a “Western diet” high in saturated fats, sugar, and salt for a month, with nothing in the way of fresh fruit, vegetables, or fibre, were shown to increase the number of immune cells in their blood, just as they would if they’d been hit by a microbial infection.
