I read a newspaper report a few days ago about Supermarket supplies. It stated that as well as toilet rolls large quantities of pasta,and rice had been wiped off the shelves; tins were being stock-piled and also dried goods and packet meals that could be stored for months. What was in good supply still was fresh food, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Was this either because the shops were still able to replenish the fresh food quickly, or because people were buying processed dried and tinned goods in preference in order to self-isolate?
One of the most important lessons I learned at Uni when I was training was the importance of what we eat on the state of our health and the viability of our immune system. Goodness knows we need our immune systems to be in tip-top condition at the moment. Our immune cells are made up of the proteins and other nutrients that we eat. If we don’t eat these nutrients our immune system’s capability drops.
Processed food [and fast food in general] is often high in sugar, and an interesting study was done about 40 years ago on the impact of sugar on our immune system. They measured something called the leukocytic index which measured how many bacteria or viruses our white blood cells [the leukocytes] can eat in one hour- this is how part of the immune system works. Obviously, the more virus bodies they eat and destroy the more efficient our immune system is. Here is what they found out: When no sugar is consumed a single leukocyte will remove 14 bacteria or virus bodies per hour, but if the same amount of sugar is consumed that is in 2 normal cans of fizzy drink then it practically wipes out the action of the immune system altogether.
The amount of sugar in normal fizzy drinks is high, and we could think that if we cut out white and other sugars then we are fine, but wait… Studies have also shown that all forms of processed carbs have a detrimental effect on immune function and reduces the leukocytes’ ability to destroy bacteria or viruses – this would include bread and rolls and pasta, etc made from refined flour. It has been estimated that 24 fluid ounces of normal coca cola reduce the immune function by 50%. Fructose is more detrimental, and although freshly squeezed orange juice sounds like a good idea, you are getting a very high dose of fructose which enters the system without the fibre which would slow down such a fast absorption of fructose. If we drink fruit juices and eat processed white bread and pasta we could be losing half the capacity of our immune function for a whole day, every day. We can’t afford to do that at the moment.
So eat the veggies, go slow on the fruits, and eliminate the sugar [cola, bread, pasta, ready meals, and takeaways] and we will have a better chance of fighting off the COVID-19 if we come into contact with it.
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Sanchez A, et al, Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. Am J Clin Nutr 1973; 26:1180-1184
Ringsdorph WM Jr, Cheraskin E, Ramsey RR Jr. Sucrose, neutrophilic phagocytosis, and resistance to disease. Dent Surv 1976; 52: 46-48.
Groves B. Natural Health & Weight Loss. 2012. Hammersmith Press. London.
What about brown rice and wholewheat pasta?
They are a better slow release of energy, but as all carbohydrates are broken down into sugars eventually in the body you still have to be careful if you are at risk or obese.