Unabsorbed fructose linked to anxiety through gut-brain inflammation

A Brain Behavior and Immunity study links fructose malabsorption to higher anxiety traits and systemic inflammation in healthy men, via gut microbiome changes; in mice, unabsorbed fructose increased anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors and brain inflammation driven by microglia, suggesting a gut-brain pathway by which sugar-rich diets may affect mental health. The human study was observational and limited to males, indicating a need for broader trials and potential low-fructose dietary interventions.