5 foods that weaken your immune system

Team Udayavani, Apr 3, 2020, 2:35 PM IST

Your lifestyle depends on how well your immune system can protect you from germs, viruses, and chronic illness and certain foods can suppress your immune system

Here are a few foods that weaken your immune system

Sugary snacks

Sugar contains unwanted strains of bacteria the more they feed on, the faster they grow, allowing them to crowd out beneficial bacteria in the body. Sugar also directly impacts your immune system by replacing vitamin C, a core nutrient for your immune cells.

Caffeine

Caffeine can have some unwanted effects on your immune system. Although, the boost of energy helps you wake up in the morning, it also has unpleasant side effect of boosted cortisol levels. Cortisol is a  hormone released in response to stress and it can also lower your immune function if you regularly have high levels of cortisol flowing throughout your body.

Alcoholic beverages

Alcohol has a couple of effects on your immune system including reducing the function of your macrophages, the cells that break down foreign invaders.

Fast food

Regularly eating fast food can actually reprogram the way your immune system reacts to potential issues, putting it in a prolonged state of alert.

Refined oils

Eating food cooked in refined oils can put a lot of stress on your system, leading to the damage of your delicate tissues and put your body through temporary inflammation.