Can Sugar Depress Your Immune System?

After the dentist finished checking my kindergartener's teeth, he brought up sugar. He was a holistic dentist, so I was hoping for more than the "sugar rots your teeth" speech. I wasn't disappointed. He dropped a bomb right off the bat; "a couple of teaspoons of sugar will depress your immune system for a few hours!" Now he was speaking my language! Kindergarten was a rough year. Our son caught everything! "Think about it, when does flu season start?" He paused a moment then answered, "Pay attention to school attendance the week after Halloween."

I left his office, turning this fascinating information over in my mind. Cutting out sugar completely was difficult, especially when the school had a candy based reward system.

This happened years ago, before Google and search engines. I always wondered where he got his information. It turns out there is a scientific basis for it. In 1973, a study gave 100 grams of sugar to participants that had fasted overnight. Different sugars were used, including glucose, fructose, sucrose, honey, or orange juice. All types of sugar decreased the immune response. The first two hours were the strongest, with the effects lasting around five hours.© Jaelynn Castillo

Does this information make you rethink your snack strategy when you fly? Or before important "can't afford to be sick" events? It has made a difference for me.

I noticed we all recovered from colds and flu faster when we eliminated sugar while we were sick. Even better, my son changed his habits. He would voluntarily go off sugar when he wasn't feeling well.

Gradually sugar faded from our household and was replaced with natural sweeteners like stevia. To this day, when I catch a cold, I frequently think back to what I ate a few hours before and discover a sugary splurge. The consequences make it easier to resist in a moment of weakness.

Are you trying to stay healthy for an important event? Skip the sugar, and you won't have your immune system fighting with one hand tied behind it's back. It's not a magic ticket to avoiding illness. When combined with other strategies, you can help your little immune soldiers be in tip-top shape if they have to fight off an opposing army.

Want to read the big science words? Here's the study where you can read more about it. 



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