Certain fatty acids can render listeria bacterium harmless, study shows

Omega-3 fatty acids can neutralize listeria bacterium in around 30 minutes, according to a study published in Research in Microbiology.

Symptoms of listeriosis, caused by the listeria bacterium, include headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions in addition to fever and muscle aches, according to the CDC. The disease is most likely to affect pregnant women and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older and people with weakened immune systems.

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Danish researchers investigated the interaction between listeria and fatty acids at the molecular level.

The study shows that even low concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids can switch off the specific genes in listeria that cause disease. The fatty acids do not kill the bacteria, but rather make them harmless. This also helps prevent the listeria from becoming antibiotic resistant. By neutralizing, rather than killing, the bacteria, fatty acids stop listeria from developing survival tactics that make them resistant.

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