If our immune system is weakened, our bodies become very susceptible to illness, such as colds and flu among other more serious conditions. We even have some 'helpful' bacteria in our bodies called human flora that work in our digestive tract to help break down food and other useful tasks to the body. However, if the immune system or 'good' bacteria is damaged in any way (such as by chemotherapy or antibiotics being taken to kill other pathogens), pathogenic bacteria that were being held at bay can proliferate and cause harm to the host. Such cases are called opportunistic infections.
Sugar can also weaken our immune system. In a report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 100 grams of sugar from glucose, fructose, sucrose, honey or orange juice caused a significant decrease in the ability of white blood cells to engulf and destroy bacteria. This decrease in immune function was still present five hours after sugar was consumed. So if we eat a lot of sugary foods throughout the day, our immune system can be more at risk than normal.
There are numerous other studies that show decreases in immune function following sugar consumption. It is probably not significant when one only consumes sugar on occasion. However, on a daily basis it can wreak havoc on your immune system. The problem is sugar creeps into virtually every aspect of our diet, often without our awareness. This is because sugar is added to almost every packaged food sold today. The average adult American consumes more than 150 pounds of sugar each year (teenagers can consume over 200 pounds)! This is 14 times more than was ingested about 100 years ago. It's far too much for our bodies to handle.
To help illustrate the harmful effects of sugar, let's use breakfast cereals as an example. Many of the most popular children's cereals contain almost 50 percent of their calories as sugar. The presence of large amounts of sugar in the diet causes a gradual depletion of zinc in the body. As zinc levels decline, the sense of taste declines as well. As taste perception declines, there is a greater need to flavor the food in order to make it 'taste good'. Usually this means adding more sugar. This leads to a further reduction in body zinc levels, which further lowers the taste perception. As a result, a child heaps more sugar on top of his cereal. The cycle goes on and on.
In his book Fighting the Food Giants, biochemist Paul A. Stitt says that it is no accident that children's cereals are highly sugared. Food manufacturers were the first to discover that sugar consumption leads to a gradual loss of zinc, which in turn leads to a loss of taste perception. By marketing cereal high in sugar, they were able to create virtual addicts to their products. This is also why there is a high concentration of sugar in soft drinks as well. Couple that with the addiction of caffeine, this can easily create addicts from daily consumed products. Is it no wonder that our immune systems have become weaker and more susceptible to the 'bug' that is going around?
It you want to have sweets, it's better to get it from fresh fruit - not canned fruit, not dried fruit, but fresh fruit. Fruit provides a natural form of sugar called fructose. Honey or real maple (pure) syrup is far better than refined sugar if you must make something sweeter.
Despite the abundance of food in the United States, nutritional deficiency is quite common. It is important to understand this because Americans are often lulled into believing that foods are fortified with needed nutrients. It's like computers, 'Garbage in, Garbage out'. This is the biggest error made by dietitians, the nutritional arm of orthodox medicine racket. In considering the makeup of foods, they look only at the chemical elements themselves (calcium, phosphorus, etc.) and assume that as long as the element can be measured in the food or added to the food, you are getting the equivalent nutrition and bioactivity as provided by nature. What stupidity! Nothing could be farther from the truth. Again, it is not what you consume, but what your body absorbs that is important.
Ultimately, if you treat your body like a garbage pail and fill it with junk that your body doesn't recognize or can't handle, your body will eventually break down. Think of this the next time you reach for the doughnut or can of soda!
There will be more ways to protect your health this week. Stay tuned ...
My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:20-23 (NIV)
If you have comments or questions, please feel free to contact me at the address below.
Email: DeltaInspire@panama-vo.com
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