fats

"Our findings suggest a diet rich in vegetables, nuts and healthy fats may help prevent chronic constipation in middle- and older-age adults," said Staller.

ROS can also harm fats that form the outer membranes of cells, contributing to cell death and tissue injury.

Surveys indicate these industrially-manufactured foods are on the rise in diets around the world, worsening the quality of what we eat with too much sugar and unhealthy fats and a lack of fibre and protein.

These molecules form when proteins or fats bind to sugars, a process that occurs more frequently in people with diabetes.

"By reactivating uricase in human liver cells, we lowered uric acid and stopped the cells from turning excess fructose into triglycerides -- the fats that build up in the liver," Gaucher said.