Patriot Health Digest
Everyone knows soda isn’t good for you. While most people think in terms of weight, your immune system can also be harmed by this deadly drink.
Since sugar has been proven to lead to a weakened immune function, it’s safe to say that soda can cause damage to your body’s potential for fighting disease.
Below, we give five ways soda can threaten your immunity.
1 — Feeds Your Bad Bacteria
All it takes is one can of Coke to turn your body into a breeding ground for bad bacteria and viruses. Sugar also harms your immune system, because it harms key cells that help block bad bacteria.
2 — Increases Infection Risks
The sugar in soda changes your immune system’s white blood cells, which are vital for combating infection. This is why people call white blood cells “killer cells.” Those with type 2 diabetes are in danger of other severe health problems, like severe symptoms of coronavirus, so it’s critical they keep their soda consumption as low as possible.
3 — Heightens Risk For Diabetes
Drinking a can of Dr. Pepper (or two) may not only trigger a yo-yo between being energized and sluggish, it can also raise your risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Routinely consuming sugared beverages can lower your insulin sensitivity, which is a high risk factor for contracting type 2 diabetes.
4 — More Inflammation
Sodas like Pepsi and others are loaded in sugar which can trigger inflammation in your body which might not only damage your immune system but can also increase your risk for developing chronic diseases in the future. One study found that soda drinkers—versus those who drank milk, or water—had greater levels of uric acid, which is linked to high inflammation and sometimes insulin resistance (a sign of incoming or present type 2 diabetes).
5 — Obesity
Soda contains what are called “empty calories” meaning that, while soda provides you with calories, none of them give you real nutritional value. In fact, soda’s calories do the opposite of “nutrition.”
According to several recent studies, obesity can directly hinder your immunity in many ways, from decreasing your cytokine production to changing your lymphocyte function. As Brittany Busse, MD said in an article about coronavirus and melatonin, cytokines are anti-inflammatory and are very important for good immune function. And Lymphocytes are simply white blood cells that have a hugely important role in your body’s immune system. You need both to keep a healthy immune system.
