9 Foods That Weaken Your Immune System

  I don’t think people realize just how important the immune system is.

The immune system is like a 

forcefield that protects your body from bacteria,viruses and toxins .                               In order for it to work, it needs to be in tip-top shape.

This means Reading your diet.

Let’s talk about Foods That Weaken Your Immune System.

Do I stay away from refined carbs?

Just how bad are fried foods exactly?

What about foods high in fat?

Wait, how unhealthy is the sweetener I put in my coffee?

We’re talking all that AND more…

Artificial Sweeteners

I know, sweeteners all the rage.

Sometimes, you don’t want real sugar in your coffee.

But people don’t realize just how much harm it can do to your body.

I’m not saying it kills you instantly or anything, but sweetener does harm your immune

system.

Experts have linked artificial sweeteners to altered gut composition and increased inflammation.

This delays your immune response, and leads researchers to believe that a diet heavy on

artificial sweeteners will eventually harm your immune system as a whole.

Studies have shown that sweeteners may very well lead to autoimmune disease, but more

research needs to be done.

What type of coffee do you prefer?

Do you load it with sugar?

Are you more of a sweetener person?

Do you just take it black?

Sound off in the comment section, and start a conversation with our Bestie community...

High Fat Foods

Now with that coffee in the morning, you’ll likely be eating a quick drive-thru item.

That’s just how a morning routine goes.

Well many of these foods are LOADED with saturated fats.

This is an unhealthy type of fat that can really do damage to your immune system.

Diets high in saturated fat, and low in unsaturated fat are associated with poor immune response.

A bacon, egg and cheese sandwich before work will cause inflammation.

This will stop your immune system from functioning properly.

A diet high in fat will increase your chances of infection.

This is because it slows down your white blood cells, and damages the lining of your intestine.

Other foods with high saturated fat include milkshakes, ice cream, chocolate, butter and

cured meats.

So try and curb your fast food cravings.

Foods With Lots of Additives

Sorry guys, some of your favorite processed junk foods are going to be featured on this

list.

That’s because they’re terrible for your immune system.

In order to improve the shelf life of processed foods, additives need to be put in.

While you may enjoy the taste of a cheeseburger, the long term effects probably aren’t worth

it.

Additives can hurt your gut bacteria, damage your intestines and bring on inflammation.

This will stop your immune system from working properly.

Let’s talk about carrageenan for a second…

Don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you with all these scientific words.

But this one’s important.

Carrageenan is an additive used to preserve and thicken foods.

It’s been connected to inflammation in the intestines, which weakens immunity and makes

you more vulnerable to disease.

Charred Meats

I think I should first go through what charred meat actually is.

There are just so many types of meat out there.

Charred meat is any kind of meat cooked over a high temperature, usually charred over a

live fire.

While we all love a good meal cooked over the grill, charred meat can really damage

your health.

Let’s talk about AGE’s for a second…

AGE’s stand for Advanced Glycation End Products.

These are harmful compounds that take form when protein, fat and sugar mix together in

the bloodstream, and charred meats are full of them.

A 2013 study showed that out of hundreds of foods, fried bacon, broiled hot dogs, grilled

steak and roasted chicken thighs were the highest in AGE’s.

I know, it’s a blow for me too.

With summer around the corner, I’m planning to go hard on the BBQ.

Unfortunately, it’s about to get worse.

These types of processed meats are also really high in saturated fats.

As I stated earlier, this will only weaken your immune system further.

There’s also reason to believe that processed and charred meats can lead to colon cancer.

This news is pretty devastating for anybody who loves to cook outdoors.

But don’t worry, there’s a way around this.

All you really need to do is pay attention to what you’re cooking, and how long you’re

cooking it for.

Let’s move on to another really polarizing food group...

But before we continue, are you trying to improve the health of your skin?

Well you need to change your diet.

Check out our recent video on this superfood that’s great for your skin…

Now back to our list of foods that weaken your immune system.

Fried Foods

This one will have you thinking the next time you’re waiting in line at the drive thru.

Fried foods from your favorite burger joint are also full of AGE’s.

This will interrupt the function of your cells, and spark inflammation, taking a toll on your

immune system.

Aside from colon cancer, these AGE’s have been linked to things like malaria, metabolic

syndrome and heart disease.

Now I’m not trying to scare you or anything.

This doesn’t mean the next McDonald’s meal you buy is going to poison you.

You just need to make sure you’re not eating too much of it, and mixing healthy items into

your diet at the same time.

Research has shown that cutting back on the usual suspects will reduce your AGE intake.

This means less chips, french fries, fried chicken and bacon.

Just a thought, people!

Omega-6 Fatty Foods

Now this one’s bound to be a curveball.

I mean, aren’t Omega fats supposed to be healthy?

Well it’s not that simple.

You need a proper balance.

You see, your body needs omega-3 and omega-6 fats to survive.

But we’re usually high in omega-6 and low in omega-3.

This spells big trouble for your immune system.

If you’re too high in omega-6, your body is going to produce proteins that weaken the

immune system.

But if you’re getting the right omega-3’s to balance this out, the proteins will be

reduced, improving your immune response.

Research shows that obese people with lots of omega-6 in their system have an increased

risk of asthma, over people with the right balance of omega fats.

In case you’re interested, foods that contain omega-6’s include walnuts, peanut butter

and avocado oil.

Foods heavy on omega-3’s however are fish like mackerel, salmon and sardines, as well

as seeds like flax and chia.

Moving on…

Salty Foods

Yup, this means more of your favorite junk foods are on the chopping block.

I don’t mean to pick on you.

Salty foods only slow down your body’s immune response.

Foods loaded with sodium such as chips, burgers, and frozen dinners will inflame your body’s

tissues.

This only increases the risk of autoimmune disease.

Scientists have directly tied high sodium intake to the increase in autoimmune disease

in Western countries.

Too much salt in your diet slows down immunity, making you more vulnerable to inflammation.

It will also affect the state of your gut bacteria.

This will only boost your chances of disease.

On top of that, it can worsen an autoimmune disease you already have like Crohn’s or

lupus.

Added Sugar

This is one of the most important categories we will mention.

The more sugar you eat, the worse off your immune system will be.

Foods that are high in sugar increase your production of inflammatory proteins, which

will slow down the immune system.

This is extremely dangerous for people with diabetes.

Their blood sugar levels elevate for a longer period than people who are non-diabetic.

High blood sugar will stop the production of cells in your body that fight off infections.

Diets that are high in sugar have also been associated with increased risk of rheumatoid

arthritis.

So if you’re looking to decrease your chances, stay away from the sweets and sugary sodas.

Refined Carbs

Let’s first go through what refined carbs are.

These are carbohydrates found in things like white bread, sodas, pastries, pastas and cereals.

They are made mostly of sugars and processed grains.

Eating too many refined carbs will result in a dramatic spike in blood sugar and insulin

levels.

As a result, your body will have more free radicals and inflammatory proteins.

Refined carbs will also damage your gut bacteria.

The best thing to do is cut back on the foods with higher levels of refined carbs.

You’ll be doing your immune system a favor in the long run.

Your immunity is crucial to your health, and there are so many ways to boost it.

Have I sparked your interest?

Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple more videos, shall we?

Check out 11 Natural Ways To Boost Your Body’s Immune System.

Or how about 6 Easy Home Remedies For A Stronger Immune System?

Go ahead, click one.

Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about how to make your body a healthy fortress.

Do you eat any of the foods we just listed?

Let us know in the comments below!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Thanks For Reading