Did you know your diet plays a big part in how well your immune system works? Check this list of five foods that bust your immune system and eliminate or cut down on them to improve your health.
1. Processed foods
If you make just one big change to improve
immune system function, says Dr. Joseph Mercola, a world-renowned osteopathic physician and wellness expert, eliminate processed convenience foods from your diet. Mercola says that in addition to all of the other ways these pre-packaged foods contribute to poor health, they promote inflammation in the body, which can cause the immune system to make mistakes and launch attacks on your own cells. This autoimmune response mutes the appropriate responses needed to fight off real infection.
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2. Soda
Drinking just one soda containing the average of 30-50 grams of sugar is a
bust for your immune system, according to the Pharmacy Technician Certification website, since sugar lowers the immune system response within minutes. Even if you drink diet or sugar-free soda, the acid contained in it does damage to the intestinal walls, allowing germs to be absorbed more readily.
3. Red meat
Dr. Edward Group
tells the Global Healing Center that a recent study showed red meat contains a type of sugar that is not easily digested and triggers a dangerous reaction that weakens the immune system.
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4. Caffeine
Proper immune system function depends on getting enough sleep. Any food that prevents you from getting a good night’s sleep is bad for your immune system. The Pharmacy Technician Certification website recommends steering clear of coffee, caffeinated teas, chocolate, and soda in the evening. In addition to caffeine, they also recommend avoiding anything else that gets in the way of sleep, such as big meals right before bedtime and drinking too much alcohol.
5. Deep-fried foods
Dr. Group says fatty fried foods eaten too often increase inflammation in the body, weakening the immune system.
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