Foods That Weaken Your Immune System

There are thousands of foods that can boost your immune system. Really, any whole, clean food will do this! But what are the foods that weaken your immune system?

In this blog, I'm going to give you the low-down the top offenders. Not only are foods in this list, but some beverages too. Read on to learn how we can better support our immunity naturally and with simple dietary choices...

1. Processed Food

Processed foods are one of the biggest offenders for compromising the strength of your immune system. Full of additives and preservatives, processed food increases inflammation and your body's ability to regulate infection.

Sorry, my sausage lovers!

Processed foods include anything that gets processed and turned from something natural to something unnatural, from something healthy to something unhealthy.

Think, bacon, sausages, deli meats, hot dogs, pizza, bakery goods, packet foods, potato chips and any similar snack (gluten-free or not), margarine, pasteurised juice and milk, microwave popcorn, flavoured nuts, canned goods*, 2-minute noodles, pre-made meals, most frozen goods, ready-made rice, muesli/granola bars...

Pretty much most things in the supermarket! 😆

Side note: do use tinned foods but I always choose organic foods that are inside of BPA-free cans. The other thing from this list is potato chips but I do my best to scope out the natural ones. I realise they're still processed and not good for health but occasionally is ok in my opinion.

2. Refined Sugar

Linked closely to the same downsides of processed foods--which usually contain oodles of refined sugar--refined sugar also causes inflammation and damages gut health. Your gut is your body's second brain, so when it is not functioning properly, your health can suffer.

What's more, refined sugar has been shown to negatively affect your cellular ability to fight off bacteria, making you more prone to illness.

Do you ever eat a heap of sugar (like most of us do at Easter) and then the next day or even that same day, you just feel awful and you might even experience some joint pain? I know I have experienced this after a sugar-fest! 😟

3. Junk Food

Photo by Caleb Oquendo from Pexels

The junk food category really goes hand-in-hand with the processed food category.

Being processed and loaded with refined sugar is one of the downfalls of junk food. But there's also the fact that junk food is often replete with saturated fats and excess salt, which also causes inflammation in the body and upsets healthy immune function.

4. Alcohol

Alcohol, in any amount, can weaken your immune system. Not only does alcohol disrupt your gut's barrier, which facilities the passing of more bacteria and toxins into your blood, but it also inhibits the function of important cells in your immune system.

Alcohol is also processed by your body as a toxin, meaning as soon as you drink that glass of wine, your body gets to business removing that toxin at the expense of regular, healthy bodily processes--including supporting a healthy immune system. 🍻

I enjoy my glass of wine now and then, so I know it is tempting to try to counter this argument with the claim that the resveratrol in the wine is a powerful antioxidant that’s good for your body. This is true, in part: reservatrol is good for your body and can help fight inflammation, BUT the ethanol (the toxin) in the wine negates the purely positive perks of drinking it.

If you’d like pure, potent resveratrol, try our Perfect ResGrape Resveratrol supplement. Get the benefit of 700 glasses of wine without the alcohol, calories or preservatives.

5. Unfiltered Tap Water

Unfiltered tap water contains fluoride and chlorine, and--like alcohol--ingesting these toxins means your body spends more time processing and eliminating them and less time building a robust immune response.

I get it: this list can seem scary since so many of us (myself included!) eat or drink things on this list. However, if we move past the fear, there's hope!

No one is perfect, and occasionally, many of us will have junk food, processed food, refined sugar-laden food, alcohol and a drink of unfiltered tap water. Eating and drinking these things on rare occasion is not usually what creates a compromised immune system: it's when we indulge in these immunity weakening culprits daily.

Also, keep in mind that even if you avoid all the foods that weaken your immune system, that doesn't mean you won't ever get sick. It just means you'll get less sick. It means that your body will be stronger and more equipped to fight back. 👊🏼

So start building a stronger, healthier, more vital body starting with your immune system! Supercharge your immunity with some top immune-boosters: Organic Acai, Organic Chlorella and Spirulina, Organic Coconut Oil and Organic Cordyceps.

I've written a whole blog on these immune boosters, which you can read here.

Stay healthy!

Tam x

Disclaimer: These are only potential benefits. This article is purely intended for informational purposes and not as advice. One must seek proper professional advice from their trusted health practitioner.