Widely-Used Food Additive TBHQ Impairs Immune Responses to Influenza Infection

A common food additive called tert-butylhydroquinone (E319) suppresses the immune response the body mounts when fighting the flu; it also reduces the effectiveness of the flu vaccine through its effects on T cells, according to new research in mice by Michigan State University scientists. “Our studies showed that mice on a tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) diet had a weakened immune response to influenza infection,” said lead author Robert Freeborn, a PhD candidate at Michigan State University. When a person is infected with influenza virus, helper T cells direct other parts of the immune system and help coordinate an appropriate response, while killer T cells hunt down infected cells and clear them from the body.

Source: www.sci-news.com