They say that we are what we eat, and many people bear in mind that the diet they eat is closely related to weight and physical appearance. What many may not know is that poor food choices even have consequences for the immune system. We tell you what foods you should avoid in order to protect it.
The immune system is the body’s natural defense against infections, such as bacteria and viruses. With the food that we carry we can give a hand to the system or, on the contrary, hinder its operation.
Two main enemies
Russian nutritionist Irina Lizún has that there are two main enemies of the immune system. The first is sugar, whose “excessive consumption can modify the microbiota, responsible for coordinating the body’s immune reactions,” says the specialist.
The second element that negatively affects the immune system is trans fats: “Trans fats appear, for example, when foods are fried in used oil several times or when something similar to animal fats is produced from vegetable oils”, clarifies the expert, referring to margarines. They are also present in semi-finished products.
When reviewing the list of ingredients that make up the foods we take home, the letters E, monosodium glutamate, flavorings and colorings should call our attention. Nothing happens if consume food with any of these ingredients, but they should not be abused, the expert alerts.
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