Sugar-coated bacteria may help in fight against cancer, says UCC

A spoonful of sugar, as any parent knows, helps the medicine go down — but it could also play a key role in preventing cancer and serious infections.

Research from University College Cork (UCC) has found that probiotic bacteria products, which provide a list of positive health benefits and have become a key part of most households’ weekly shop, survive in the gut mainly due to their sugar-like outer coating.

In addition, the external layer also helps to ensure the bacteria is able to evade the immune system and reduces infection levels of gut pathogens.