From my inbox this morning.

Fats “help body fight TB”
Dietary fats could help the body fight against tuberculosis (TB), researchers have suggested. However, it is not yet clear whether eating the fats could be used as a treatment for TB, and researchers, writing in Nature Cell Biology, say further work should be carried out to find out more about how their properties could be used. The body’s macrophages go through certain changes to release enzymes and acids to destroy the bacteria. TB prevents a key stage of this process, disabling the cells. This latest research suggests certain fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid, found in meat, can prevent this disabling taking place, allowing the body's defence system to work efficiently. But they also said omega-3 fats, found in oily fish, had a slightly negative effect on the body's ability to fight off bacteria.
(BBC News Online 27/08/03)

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