Regular and long term sugar consumption can trigger inflammation, ultimately leading to a weakened immune system and other illnesses and disease such as diabetes, arthritis, gastrointestinal issues, asthma, headaches, psoriasis, and even cancer.
It’s likely we have all heard the following at some point: “don’t eating too much sugar or you will get sick.” In most cases, the extent of the sickness was never clearly defined or known for that matter. A stomach ache? Maybe feeling tired after crashing from the sugar “high”? Unfortunately for us, those short term consequences are not the only drawbacks to regularly indulging in the sweet stuff. It turns out, the degree of sickness may be much more severe in the long run.
How Exactly Does Sugar Weaken the Immune System?
According to this article, Loma Linda University conducted a study in which subjects consumed different types of sugar. It was discovered the effectiveness of white blood cells (the immune cells that fight infection) dropped by up to 50% within 1-2 hours of eating sugar. The decease in white blood cells lasted lasting up to five hours. This is only one study on the short term effects. Let’s take a look at the long term effects and the science behind this.
Detailed in the book, Lick the Sugar Habit, by Nancy Appleton, Ph D, sugar disrupts the entire body chemistry devastates the endocrine and immune system. When sugar is consumed on a regular basis year after year, it can cause mineral and enzyme malfunction, resulting in poor gut function and reduced beneficial bacteria leading to leaky gut syndrome.
With an unbalance gut microbiome, enzymes are not able to properly digest foods and the undigested particles can leak into the blood stream leading to a variety of allergic reactions such as joint pain, headache, and fatigue. Continued exposure can lead to chronic reactions and degenerative diseases. Sugar taxes the pancreas leading to overstimulation and ultimately too much insulin is secreted. This causes the blood sugar to dip. The result can be hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Over time, if left untreated, this can lead to diabetes – which is clear evidence of a damaged immune system.
How Much is Too Much Sugar?
According to the following article, there is no conclusive research that refines a “safe” level of sugar that does not affect the immune system. So, it is probably best to avoid it at all costs.
Inside Bulletproof: The Not-So-Sweet Truth About Sugar and Immune Health
My Personal Experience with Sugar
As a child, I had chronic ear infections, migraine headaches, sleep issues, behavioral problems, chronic skin irritations, chronic sinus issues… I could go on and on. After several meetings with a functional medicine practitioner, it was deciding that sugar would no long be a part of my diet. As a child this was not the news you want to hear. But after several years, and a lot of work, sugar was almost entirely eliminated from my diet. The results were amazing. All of the above mentioned symptoms were gone and only returned when I consumed sugar. I invite you to try it for yourself.
