Can Soft Drinks Wreck Your Immune System?

Attention is being given to our immune system in this past pandemic year. Some people have no symptoms from the virus, and others suffer and must be hospitalized. One of the problems is preexisting conditions – challenges to health in general. Another problem is the immune system.

Sugar & Processed Products (foods)

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/high-fructose-diets-may-harm-the-immune-system Fructose is a sugar found in nature. Honey, fruits, and some vegetables contain fructose. Our bodies treat fructose as a toxin and clear it from the body quickly. However, the quantity in fruits is not enough to impair liver function.

HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) is a manufactured sweetener that is cheap and has a lot of fructose. Many processed foods, especially soft drinks, contain vast amounts of fructose. Over the past several decades, many health scientists believe that HFCS may be responsible for increased rates of obesity, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Fructose & Immune System

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21461-4 Excessive amounts of fructose cause inflammation. Like omega-6 fatty acids, tiny amounts are needed in the body. However, extreme amounts increase inflammation.

The immune system has not been studied extensively regarding fructose and immune cell behavior. What scientists have found is that fructose reprograms metabolic pathways that favor oxidation and inflammation.

The latest study from Swansea University's Medical School, the University of Bristol, and London's Francis Crick Institute show the immune system's impairment when exposed to excessive fructose amounts.

The immune system's effectiveness is reduced by cells and tissues damaged by increased inflammation in the body resulting from fructose's overabundance. The cellular decay eventually leads to diseases such as obesity and cancer.

Infections & HFCS

https://www.pacificcollege.edu/news/blog/2019/01/25/too-high-on-high-fructose-corn-syrup Nearly every disease begins with chronic low-level inflammation at the cellular level. Left unchecked, mutations can occur, and disease begins. Balanced nutrition helps the body fight inflammation caused by free radical damage. High levels of fructose stimulate the formation of free radicals. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134%2FS1607672915060137

A challenged immune system cannot respond to foreign invaders. The risk of infection increases as the body's level of inflammation. Infections, fungal, viral, and bacterial, are controlled by your immune system. This may help to explain why some people are more susceptible to coronavirus than others.

Conclusion

The FDA does not identify HFCS as a sugar that can negatively affect your health. Lots of studies show links, but the FDA wants more proof. How much is too much? It is easy to quantify and say keep your daily input to under 100 mg/day.

However, HFCS is hidden in many products such as salad dressing, bread, yogurt, and more. It is hard to stop eating foods and drinks with HFCS when you do not read the labels. Regardless, HFCS is not your friend. This link, https://paleoleap.com/10-reasons-why-fructose-is-bad/, provides great insight into the world of fructose and your health.

Live Longer & Enjoy Life! – Red O'Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com