Foods That May Weaken Your Immune System Doesn’t Have To Be Hard | Read These 9 Points
Thinking About Foods That Can Weaken Your Immune System? 9 Reasons Why it is Time to Stop!
I don’t think people realize just how important the immune system is. The immune system is like a forcefield that protects your body from bacteria, viruses, and toxins. For it to work, it needs to be in tip-top shape.
This means watching your diet. Let’s talk about Foods That Weaken Your Immune System. Do I stay away from refined carbs? Just how bad are fried foods exactly? What about foods high in fat? How unhealthy is it for me to put sweets in my coffee?
#9. Artificial Sweeteners
I know sweeteners all the rage. Occasionally, you do not want real sugar in your coffee. But people have no idea how much damage it can do to your body. I am not saying it kills you immediately or anything, but the sweetener does damage your immune system. Experts have linked artificial sweeteners to altered gut composition and increased inflammation.
This delays your immune response and leads researchers to believe that a diet heavy on artificial sweeteners will eventually harm your immune system as a whole. Studies have shown that sweeteners may very well lead to autoimmune disease, but more research needs to be done.
- What type of coffee do you prefer?
- Do you load it with sugar?
- Are you more of a sweetener person?
- Do you just take it black?
#8. High Fat Foods
Now with this coffee in the morning, you are probably eating the item by a quick drive. That’s just how a morning routine goes. Many of these foods are loaded with saturated fat. This is an unhealthy type of fat that can do damage to your immune system. Diets high in saturated fat, and low in unsaturated fat are associated with poor immune response.
A bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich before work will cause inflammation. This will stop your immune system from functioning properly. A diet high in fat will increase your chances of infection. This is because it slows down your white blood cells, and damages the lining of your intestine. Other foods with high saturated fat include milkshakes, ice cream, chocolate, butter, and cured meats. So try and curb your fast food cravings.
#7. Foods With Lots of Additives
Some of your favorite junk foods are going to be added to this list. Because they are terrible for your immune system. To improve the shelf life of processed foods, additives need to be put in. While you may enjoy the taste of a cheeseburger, the long-term effects probably aren’t worth it. Additives can hurt your gut bacteria, damage your intestines and bring on inflammation. This will stop your immune system from working properly.
Let’s talk about carrageenan for a second… Don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you with all these scientific words. But this one’s important. Carrageenan is an additive used to preserve and thicken foods. It’s been connected to inflammation in the intestines, which weakens immunity and makes you more vulnerable to disease.
#6. Charred Meats
I think I should first go through what charred meat is. There are many kinds of meat. Burnt meat is any type of meat that is cooked at a high temperature, usually ignited on a live fire. While we all love a good meal cooked over the grill, charred meat can damage your health.
Let’s talk about ages for a second… AGE’s stand for Advanced Glycation End Products. These are harmful compounds that take form when protein, fat, and sugar mix in the bloodstream, and charred meats are full of them. A 2013 study showed that out of hundreds of foods, fried bacon, broiled hot dogs, grilled steak and roasted chicken thighs were the highest in ages.
I know, it’s a blow for me too. With summer around the corner, I’m planning to go hard on the BBQ. Unfortunately, it’s about to get worse. These types of processed meats are also really high in saturated fats. As I stated earlier, this will only weaken your immune system further.
There’s also reason to believe that processed and charred meats can lead to colon cancer. This news is pretty devastating for anybody who loves to cook outdoors. But do not panic, there is a way around it. All you need to do is pay attention to what you’re cooking, and how long you’re cooking it for.
#5. Fried Foods
This one will have you thinking the next time you’re waiting in line at the drive-thru. Fried foods from your favorite burger joint are also full of ages. This will interrupt the function of your cells, and spark inflammation, taking a toll on your immune system. Aside from colon cancer, these AGE’s have been linked to things like malaria, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease.
This doesn’t mean the next McDonald’s meal you buy is going to poison you. You just need to make sure you’re not eating too much of it and mixing healthy items into your diet at the same time. Research has shown that cutting back on the usual suspects will reduce your AGE intake. This means fewer chips, French fries, fried chicken, and bacon. Just a thought, people!
#4. Omega-6 Fatty Foods
Now this one’s bound to be a curveball. I mean, aren’t Omega fats supposed to be healthy? Well, it’s not that simple. You need a proper balance. You see, your body needs omega-3 and omega-6 fats to survive. But we’re usually high in omega-6 and low in omega-3. This can be a big problem for your immune system.
If you’re too high in omega-6, your body is going to produce proteins that weaken the immune system. But if you’re getting the right omega-3’s to balance this out, the proteins will be reduced, improving your immune response.
Research shows that obese people with lots of omega-6 in their system have an increased risk of asthma, over people with the right balance of omega fats. In case you’re interested, foods that contain omega-6’s include walnuts, peanut butter, and avocado oil. Foods heavy on omega-3’s however are fish like mackerel, salmon, and sardines, as well as seeds like flax and chia.
#3. Salty Foods
This means more of your favorite junk foods are on the chopping block. I don’t mean to pick on you. Salty foods only slow down your body’s immune response. Foods loaded with sodium such as chips, burgers, and frozen dinners will inflame your body’s tissues.
This only increases the risk of autoimmune disease. Scientists have directly tied high sodium intake to the increase in autoimmune disease in Western countries. Too much salt in your diet slows down immunity, making you more vulnerable to inflammation. It will also affect the state of your gut bacteria. This will only boost your chances of disease. On top of that, it can worsen an autoimmune disease you already have like Crohn’s or lupus.
#2. Added Sugar
This is one of the most important categories we will mention. The more sugar you eat, the worse off your immune system will be. Foods that are high in sugar increase your production of inflammatory proteins, which will slow down the immune system.
This is extremely dangerous for people with diabetes. Their blood sugar levels elevate for a longer period than non-diabetic people. High blood sugar will stop the production of cells in your body that fight off infections. Diets that are high in sugar have also been associated with an increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis. So if you’re looking to decrease your chances, stay away from the sweets and sugary sodas.
#1. Refined Carbs
Let’s first go through what refined carbs are. These are carbohydrates found in things like white bread, sodas, pastries, pasta, and cereals. They are made mostly of sugars and processed grains. Eating too many refined carbs will result in a dramatic spike in blood sugar and insulin levels.
As a result, your body will have more free radicals and inflammatory proteins. Refined carbs will also damage your gut bacteria. The best thing to do is cut back on the foods with higher levels of refined carbs. You’ll be doing your immune system a favor in the long run. Your immunity is crucial to your health, and there are so many ways to boost it. Have I sparked your interest?
