Doc Talk: Episode 2: Sugar & Immunity!

Can you “boost” your immunes system if you give up sugar? Well, it doesn’t quite work that way. The immune system is complex with different components that work on different things. Viruses, bacteria, etc…

However, we do know that people who have diabetes are more prone to infections. Diabetes is a state where the body can’t store sugar anymore so it floats around in the bloodstream. It seems that immune cells cannot operate at full capacity when floating around in a high-sugar environment. We also know people with diabetes, cardio-vascular disease and hypertension tend to have more severe complications when infected with viruses like influenza and we are now seeing during the time of the current pandemic, coronavirus (COVID 19) is also affecting these people more severely. These conditions all have a commonality, which is insulin resistance which is a sugar handling problem.

So what does this mean for the average person who wants a better immune system and less inflammation? Well, it’s probably a good idea to cut down on sugar. Me and Dr. Sydne Pomin talk briefly talk about how!