Excess sugar leaves the immune system vulnerable

Nutrition and Diet Specialist Veysel Ciğerli emphasized the need to limit refined and processed sugar consumption, saying, "It's well known that a portion of the energy people need to sustain daily activities must come from carbohydrates. However, separating carbohydrate sources into simple and complex carbohydrate sources and making the most appropriate choices is crucial for improving one's quality of life."

Maintaining a healthy immune system is critical to our overall well-being. However, some daily habits can weaken this system and make us vulnerable to disease. Medicana Bursa Hospital Nutrition and Diet Specialist Veysel Ciğerli stated that fruits, whole grains, and legumes, rather than processed foods, are essential sources of carbohydrates for the body's functioning. He continued, "The trend toward processed foods is rapidly increasing today. Consequently, the amount of refined sugar consumed is increasing. In people who frequently consume simple sugars and empty energy sources like cakes, pastries, candies, sugary drinks, pasta, rice, and white bread, the amount of vitamin C available for use by the white blood cells responsible for the body's immunity decreases by 50 percent within 4-6 hours."

Dietician Ciğerli emphasized the importance of vitamin C in the body for white blood cells to neutralize viruses and bacteria, saying, "Therefore, when sugar consumption and blood sugar levels rise, white blood cells can only neutralize 75 percent of the viruses and bacteria that enter the body. Rising sugar levels block receptors that play a role in the immune system, leaving the body vulnerable to bacterial infections."

Dietitian Veysel Ciğerli, who also provided information about people's daily sugar needs, said, "For example, when we need sweets, choosing fresh fruit, dried fruit, honey, molasses, and compotes will protect us. We should avoid simple sugars and foods containing simple sugars."

Dietitian Veysel Ciğerli, noting that simple sugars enter the bloodstream without being digested, said, "Simple sugars, especially those added to cakes, pastries, soft drinks, and various candies, rapidly raise blood sugar. Rising blood sugar weakens our immune system by reducing the sensitivity of the receptors that recognize viruses and bacteria trying to settle in the body. Therefore, we must be very careful about our sugar consumption." This content was published by Cansu Akalp .