18 Ways You Can Ruin Your Immune System
Human immune system is indeed amazing! It’s actually a group of cells that communicate via chemical messages to regulate your bodily function. Strong immune system is an essential requirement for a healthy body. Nevertheless, some factors stated herein may have caused your immune system going downhill. Following with these changes, you catch flu or cold more often because your weakened immune system can’t work properly to fight against foreign organisms and infections at its peak efficiency.
Human immune system is indeed amazing! Think of that the immune system is a brilliant troop consisting of millions of microscopic soldiers with each ready to fight against invading germs, pathogens, or any disease-causing agents, and thus preventing disease from occurring in your body at the first place. Thymus, lymphocytes and thymus are some of the organs that work together to help your body fight off infections. In fact, this immune system is actually an intricate complex of interrelated cellular, molecular and genetic components that functions together to provide your body the best defending mechanism or immune response against foreign substance and infections in order to protect you from developing any ailments. However, because of some factors stated herein, your immune system doesn’t operate at its peak efficiency, and that’s why, you get sick more often.
Note: This is a continual piece of my previous articles: How to boost your immune system and ways to optimize your body’s immune system
Too Much Sugar
Each 100g (equivalent to 20 teaspoons) intake of sugar can reduce up to 40% of the ability of white blood cells to kill germs. The ingestion of simple sugars, including table sugar, fructose, glucose, honey and sugar laden snack bars, pastries, and other sweetened foods can knock the immune system down for hours. That means after ingestion, the noticeable immune-suppressing effect of sugar starts to decrease the immunity function in as short as 30 minutes and its effects can last up to 5 hours. In contrast to that, the ingestion of complex carbohydrates (starches) doesn’t show interference on both immunity response and the ability of white blood cells to engulf bacteria.
In a nutshell, too much sugar is not good for your health. Overconsumption of sugar can eventually lead you ending up with a hormonal and chemical imbalance. The excess intake of sugar has known to cause disruption towards body’s ability to absorb the required nutrients, especially vitamin C which is always considered good to boost immune system up. Males are encouraged to keep sugar intake to less than 150 calories (or 37g), while females should keep the intake to no more than 100 calories (or 25g) per day from all food sources to help prevent immune system impairment or suppression against infectious diseases.
Too Much Protein
Protein is an essential nutrient for a human growth, while enhancing the functionality of immune system. When there is too much protein in your body, the unused protein will be converted into fat and it’s kept deposit beneath the layer of skin, which undoubtedly, will bring many problems to immune system.
Liked it
papaleng | Nov 26, 2009 | Reply
Another excellent post Chan, you always comes out with highly educational and healthful post.
chitragopi | Nov 26, 2009 | Reply
Compilation very useful indeed.
clay hurtubise | Nov 26, 2009 | Reply
Great title! I think #19 would be spending too much time on Triond!
Thanks,
Clay
Kate Smedley | Nov 26, 2009 | Reply
Wonderful article Chan, I particularly agree with the ways of dealing with stress and anxiety, it certainly works for me.
Judy Sheldon | Nov 26, 2009 | Reply
Chan, this article should prove very helpful in protecting our immune systems. Thanks so much for taking your time to research and impart this information on our behalf.
Stay well. God bless & Happy thanksgiving,
Your honorary sister,
Judy
Guy Hogan | Nov 26, 2009 | Reply
I’m in pretty good physical health but I do suffer a lot from stress and sometimes the stress shows itself in some physical way. I know what you’re talking about.
valli | Nov 26, 2009 | Reply
We should be careful of our health. Very helpful and informative article.
Idazalee | Nov 26, 2009 | Reply
A great advices and very informative article about immune system..well done Chan! keep it up..Thank you
Mr Ghaz | Nov 26, 2009 | Reply
Wonderful work..very helpful and great health tips….really excellent! cheers my friend..well done
BC Doan | Nov 27, 2009 | Reply
Great and comprehensive article, Chan!
Christine Ramsay | Nov 27, 2009 | Reply
An excellent and detailed article. There are so many things to think about if you want to stay really healthy. Good work.
Christine
cutedrishti8 | Nov 27, 2009 | Reply
Excellent Information…Chan.
Lex92 | Nov 27, 2009 | Reply
I’ll have to think about these.. I don’t want to ruin my immune system
Eunice Tan | Nov 27, 2009 | Reply
It’s quite frightening for me. Too much protein is frightening me since I love soya.
giftarist | Nov 28, 2009 | Reply
Well written article, great work!
PR Mace | Nov 28, 2009 | Reply
Chan, you have outdone yourself with this one. I think this is one of your best articles. Keep up the good work.
CA Johnson | Nov 29, 2009 | Reply
This is really good. Thank you for letting us know the ways we can ruin our immune system. These are definitely things we need to know.
Joe Dorish | Nov 30, 2009 | Reply
Excellent article Chan that everyone should read!
My Facebook | Nov 30, 2009 | Reply
Very informative and well written. I guess it is something we can’t get away from.
We can try our best and do everything right, but still find ourselves in a situation such as near smoker (passive smoking) or in a highly polluted area.
I also agree with Guy Hogan, stress is something you can’t get away from.
Well done and well written.
Ashley Ann | Dec 1, 2009 | Reply
Very nice!
-A
CHAN LEE PENG | Dec 2, 2009 | Reply
Guy Hogan, try to reduce your stress as minimal as possible either by doing regular exercise or deep breathing.
CHAN LEE PENG | Dec 2, 2009 | Reply
Eunice Tan, too much protein is bad for our health. Make sure that you consume protein in an appropriate amount.
CHAN LEE PENG | Dec 2, 2009 | Reply
My facebook, living in this modern world, we can’t avoid ourselves from breathing polluted air, as like what you said second-hand smoke from the cigarette. That’s why it’s very important for us to go close to the nature, for example, you can go to a jungle, countryside, waterfall area or any area that is free from heavily polluted air.
Goodselfme | Dec 3, 2009 | Reply
You are such a great teacher to bring this much needed information to the forefront. Thank you for a great composition so well done.
deep blue | Dec 5, 2009 | Reply
Very well written. Great post, Chan.
Authoress Terry E. Lyle | Dec 8, 2009 | Reply
Excellant article, very informative and great research done.
Gail Nobles | Dec 11, 2009 | Reply
Honey can nock the immune system down? I sure didn’t know that. Honey is natural and really suppose to be good for you.
Gail Nobles | Dec 11, 2009 | Reply
Great artilce by the way. I have learned a lot.
thuanynguyen | Dec 28, 2009 | Reply
Great write, loved it.
snysi22 | Jun 24, 2010 | Reply
You are Fantastically blessed
thankyou
All your posts are so helpful and encouraging