Does sugar suppress the effectiveness of the immune system?

Short answer, probably yes; gorging on sugary food and drinks can suppress immune function at least temporarily. We probably know the most about sugar's deleterious effects on the body from our medical experience with diabetics. read more

For example it is well known that diabetics, especially ones that have poor glucose control, are more susceptible to infection, and tend get more serious ones, but I don’t know how much of this is due to the high glucose levels supporting the rapid growth of infectious bacteria, and how much is actually due to sugar’s effects on neutrophils other immune cells and compliment system proteins. read more

Sugar and Vitamin C are similar in their chemical structure. When you eat sugar, it directly competes for space in your immune cells with Vitamin C! The more sugar in your system, the less Vitamin C can get into your white blood cells. Sugar DOES NOT help your immune system fight infection at all, resulting in a weakened defense from infections. read more

Eating sugar may put your white blood cells into a temporary coma. But there’s a lot more to the story of how sugar affects our immune response. read more