1. Sugar Lets Germs Take the Lead
The harmful effects of refined sugar go beyond tooth decay and weight gain. Sugar actually reduces the efficiency of the body's immune system and makes you more vulnerable to illness. Your body uses white blood cells to destroy viruses, bacteria and other harmful elements that enter the bloodstream and body tissues. White blood cells require Vitamin C to function properly, but sugar interferes with their ability to use Vitamin C. As a result, white blood cells slow down their activity for several hours after sugar enters the body, and germs get a head start.
2. Don't Overtax Your Body
Sugar contains no nutrients, so when you eat a lot, your body must draw on its reserves of vitamins and minerals to process the sugar. While your body is busy with that task, fat and cholesterol are neglected and stored away. Levels of cholesterol and triglycerides rise in the bloodstream, and the weight gain puts added strain on your body. This increases the risk for heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses which further diminish the body's ability to heal and repair itself.
3. Stress is not Sweet
Sugar increases the effects of stress on the body, and stress also depresses the immune system. When you eat a lot of sugar you experience a sugar high, and the body responds by producing insulin to process the sugar. The insulin burns the sugar quickly and a sugar low follows. Sugar highs and the subsequent drops in blood sugar contribute to mood swings, behavioral problems, high blood pressure and an increase in adrenaline. These problems increase stress and make it harder for the immune system to do its job.
4. The Diabetes Double Whammy
The relationship between sugar and the immune system is more complicated in people with diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, a chemical that is crucial to the breakdown of sugar in the body. As a result blood sugar goes up and further impairs appropriate immune system functioning.
5. Strike a Balance Between High and Low
There many ways to cut back on sugar and to curb sugar cravings, which occur when blood sugar levels drop sharply. Stay away from sugary breakfast foods, since these will cause a blood sugar drop later in the morning. Decrease your intake of caffeine, which can also cause blood sugar to drop. Try eating more tart flavored foods. These will increase your sensitivity to sweet tastes, so that when you use sweetener you won't need as much. Drink more water to keep your stomach from feeling empty. By avoiding sugar highs, you will also stop the subsequent sugar lows that cause the cravings.
