Sugar weakens the immune system, increases inflammation in the body by causing spikes in insulin and can damage telomeres as much as smoking; It is also a driver of Metabolic Syndrome.
Sugar consumption can crash the immune system
As long ago as 1973, a study from Loma Linda University, California showed that consuming the same amount of sugar as is in a 100 ml fizzy soft drink, can crash your immune system by 40% and make it less effective in killing pathogens – and destabilise it for up to five hours.
A 2018 study on Drosophila showed that higher sugar levels worsened cellular immune responses and levels of existing antibodies in the lymph.
2020 research in the Scientific American looked at how an Influenza A attack could develop and how the chronic state was linked to a ‘cytokine storm’ and chronic inflammation, greatly worsened by high blood sugar levels. Although the research was for influenza, this step is exactly what has been happening in the most advanced cases of Covid-19 and causing death. The high levels of death in people with Metabolic Syndrome are further evidence of this.
Go to: How Blood sugar can trigger a deadly response to influenza and, possibly, Covid-19
Consuming too much sugar can weaken cells in your immune system that target bacteria, according to New York Gastroenterologist Niket Sompa. He referred to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition where glucose, fructose, sucrose, orange juice or honey was supplied to humans and blood drawn – all these simple sugars reduced phagocytosis – the ability to consume bacteria.
He also confirmed that people who consume higher levels of sugar are often deficient in certain minerals and vitamins. This may just be a coincidence of unhealthy eating and processed food but there is some evidence, for example, that glucose can displace vitamin C from cells.
Sugar consumption causes inflammation and Metabolic Syndrome
A 100 ml can of soda can contain 10.9 gm of sugar (or high fructose corn syrup).
Sugar consumption on and off throughout the day can also cause insulin levels to spike or fall, and insulin causes inflammation in the body.
People with higher levels of fasting blood sugar are far more likely to have Metabolic Syndrome. This is a ‘disease’ where people have at least three of high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high levels of fatty tissue (high BMI) and low LDL. It leads to a higher risk of type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, strokes, Alzheimer’s, obesity, Kidney disease and more.
Sugar damages brain cells
Researchers from the Salk institute also found that consuming sugar in meals and drinks throughout the day could damage cells especially those of the brain.
In children with Epilepsy, the number of fits can be greatly reduced per day by removing sugar from the diet. A Dana-Faber study has indicated that by switching from sugar-rich blood to ketone-rich, low sugar blood forces neuron receptors to the brain to switch off a protein dubbed BAD.
Consuming sugar ages you prematurely
If that wasn´t enough, research published in the American Journal of Public Health suggests drinking a daily fizzy soft drink ages your immune cells to the same levels as cigarette smoking! The finding comes after researchers studied the telomeres in DNA of human immune cells. DNA is rather like a shoe lace. At the ends of a shoe lace are pieces of plastic which stop it unravelling. Instead, DNA has telomeres. As you age, they slowly get shorter (in cancer patients they become shorter very quickly). Already there is extensive research showing that fish oils prevent telomere degradation, and can even help extend them in the case of cancer.
This research showed the damage caused by sugar. Researchers analysed data from 5,309 adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2000/2001.
Time Magazine quotes research author Doctor Elissa Epel: “Shorter telomeres have been linked to health detriments like shorter lifespans and more stress, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer…”
Her team found that sugar affects DNA metabolism and people who drank sugary soft drinks tended to have shorter telomeres: Drinking just one 8 oz can a day equalled 1.9 years of additional ageing while drinking 20 oz a day was linked to 4.6 more years of ageing. This is equivalent to the effects of smoking on telomere length.
Replace sugar with fresh fruit and vegetables
Chris Woollams, former Oxford University Biochemist said, “The solution is really quite straight forward. Replace the breakfast cereals, ice cream, bought fruit juice, cake, chocolate, biscuits and switch to a colourful Mediterranean Diet!
In a meta-analysis of 83 studies into consuming a high level of vegetables and fruits showed the opposite of the above. Consuming natural bioactive compounds reduces inflammatory markers and promotes the immune system and longevity.
Some people tell me that they have a sweet tooth – that’s been there for years. Actually it’s driven by yeasts in the body. They love sugar and if they don’t get any, they send chemicals to your brain, until you give them some! Take 2 x 150mg of oregano oil for about 12 weeks – this will sort that problem out!
Especially with Covid-19 around; everybody has to make the choice – be ill, or be healthy.”
