Immunity is the cornerstone of good health and quality of life. It’s the antivirus system for your body’s software! Without it, no matter how well-protected your house is and no matter how well-stocked your kitchen is, nothing can save you from the attack on your health.

But sadly, despite knowing all this, people today are still dead set on overconsumption of foods that attack this firewall of your body. The nutritional requirements of the body are not being fulfilled which results in overall weakened health.

Today’s population is more focused on taste and easy accessibility of food. This has led to bad food choices like consuming junk and packaged foods on a daily basis. And today we will take an in-depth look at a few food ingredients that are causing the most damage to your immune system.

Sugar

You knew it was coming, didn’t you? Sugar is the one ingredient we simply cannot live without! But unfortunately, it’s also one of the ingredients that weakens your body’s defence the most. Refined sugar is grievously detrimental to your body. Because it’s so easy to over-consume all the delicious sweets! After all, when was the last time you ate a little slice of that truffle cake and stopped there?

The fact is that too much white sugar/refined sugar leads to inflammation, skin irritation, and ultimately a weakened immune system. It also affects the production of progesterone in your body which leads to severe PMS and worsens your cravings.

What to do about it – Worry not, because there are much healthier alternatives available for all you sweet tooths out there. Sweets made with jaggery, brown sugar, honey, etc are far less toxic to your body. So the next time you feel like eating something sweet, look for a healthier alternative.

Preservatives

Another obvious culprit, preservatives have sneaked their way into most of the foods that we consume regularly. From packaged spices to ready-to-eat foods, there are some sneaky little preservatives hiding in there to wreak havoc on your health.

Tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ), an additive used to increase the shelf-life of packaged frozen foods like fries and patties is proven to weaken your body’s immune system thus rendering it unable to defend itself from diseases. To make it worse, packaged foods like chips and chocolates are targeted at children. That weakens their young and healthy immune system as well.

What to do about it – To start with, inspect the labels of all packaged foods very carefully. Be aware of what you are putting in your body. It’s also very important to make the shift from highly processed spices and instant foods to local organic brands because they are more transparent about their food labels.Lastly, help your children curb their hunger for packaged snacks by replacing packaged chips and cookies with home-cooked meals and snacks like yogurt, pour, idli, fresh fruits, juices, etc.

Refined Carbs

Healthy carb intake is extremely important for your overall health. Carbohydrate-rich foods are a great source of instant energy. But consuming too much bread, confections like cookies, and anything that is made of all-purpose flour can be very harmful to your immune health. Because it increases inflammation in your body which hinders blood flow.

Refined carbs also lead to a high spike in blood sugar levels which is never a friend to your body.

What to do about it – Replace the refined carbs with more complex carbs like quinoa, brown rice, whole grain, etc. Not only do these foods satiate you but they also help your body to work more efficiently.

Carbonated Beverages

The next time you go for your favorite soft drink, wait and think about the adverse effect it has on your immune system. These beverages are high in both sugar content and preservatives which makes them the worst enemy of your immune system.It’s proven that people who drink soda regularly are more prone to be affected by flu, fever, and other viral diseases. These drinks attack your white blood cells and weaken them. Which in turn leaves your body ill-equipped to handle the stress of infections and diseases.

What to do about it – It’s a no-brainer at this point! Quit the habit of drinking sodas and soft drinks every single time you feel thirsty. Make lemon your friend instead! Squeeze a lemon in your bottle and drink it throughout the day. It will strengthen your immune system while deeply hydrating your body.