If you are hooked on junk food and can’t bring yourself to stop, the findings of a new study might help make the decision easier to make.
According to the study conducted by a team of scientists at the University of Bonn, Germany, fast food causes the immune system to act as if it is being attacked by a serious infection, Daily Mail reported.
The study found that fast food increases the risk of developing a major illness by making immune cells more aggressive over time.
The report quoted the researchers as saying that the findings could explain the link between fast food and the hardening of arteries, since the typical deposits largely consists of lipids and immune cells.
By its very nature, a fast food meal is high in fat, sugar and sodium.
The research also found that eating junk food could cause DNA changes that increase the risk of developing major illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and colon cancer.
An experiment conducted on mice and human subjects in the course of the study also showed that junk food causes inflammatory responses that increase the risk of developing chronic health conditions which could lead to a heart attack or stroke.
The study is similar to a 2014 study that found that a poor diet could weaken the immune system, revealing that consuming 100 grams of sugar could limit the ability of white blood cells to destroy harmful microorganisms.
Researcher, Eicke Latz said the foundations of a healthy diet need to become a more prominent part of education so that people, especially children, can make conscious decisions regarding their dietary habits.