Eating sweets after infection increases the condition? It’s a mistake!
In life, we often hear statements about health, one of which claims that “confection is aggravated by sweet food”. This is widely known among the general public, which discourages many from looking forward to sweet food during their illness. However, this is actually a mistake, and today we will analyse it in detail.
Infection and body immune response
When the human body is infected, whether by viruses, bacteria or other pathogens, the immune system quickly activates a defence mechanism. This process involves complex physical reactions such as the activation of white cells, the creation of antibodies, etc. The body needs energy to maintain the efficient functioning of the immune system, while sugar in sweets is an important source of energy. Under normal circumstances, adequate sweet intake can supplement the body with energy to help it better cope with the infection.
Anatomy of sweetness.
Misunderstanding One: Sweets cause excessive blood sugar to affect immunization
It is believed that eating sweets during an infection can cause a sharp rise in blood sugar, thus inhibiting the immune system. In fact, for healthy people, a proper diet of sweets does not cause excessive fluctuations in blood sugar. Even during the infection, the system of blood sugar regulation in the body is functioning. Moreover, the immune cells in the immune system require glucose to provide energy, and normal blood sugar levels are necessary for their functioning. It is only in cases of severe sugar metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, that the high incidence of uncontrollable sweet eating can have a negative impact on the situation, but this cannot be generalized to all infected populations.
Misunderstanding II: Sugar for growth of pathogens
Another view is that sweets provide nutrients for pathogens and promote their reproduction in the body. However, the survival and breeding environment of pathogens in humans is very complex and is constrained by a number of factors, such as immunocell attacks on humans, competition for normal bacteria in the body, etc. When we enter the gastrointestinal tract, the sweets that we eat daily are digested and do not directly become hotbeds for pathogen growth. Moreover, human immune systems are able to identify and remove alien pathogens and do not lose control over them because of small sweet ingestion.
Considering sweet intake during infection
During infection, appetite is often affected, and sweets may be one of the few foods that many people wish to eat. Food can help to improve mood and energy if it is adequate, such as a piece of cake and a cup of sweet juice. Particularly for special groups such as children and the elderly, food can be difficult to eat after infection, and appropriate sweets can increase their appetite, facilitate nutritional intake and contribute to physical recovery.
Of course, the emphasis here is on proportionality. Over-eating sweets can lead to other health problems, such as tooth decay and obesity, but this is not directly related to increased infections. If a patient with a particular disease (e.g. diabetes) is infected, there is a need for reasonable control of the diet, including the intake of sweets, under the guidance of a doctor.
Importance of scientific knowledge
This rumour that “sweet food can exacerbate the disease after infection” has been widely disseminated, largely because of the lack of scientific understanding of the relationship between infection and nutrition. We should promote the concept of health in science and not simply believe in unfounded claims. When we have doubts about a health problem, we seek the advice of a professional doctor or nutritionist.
In the age of the Internet, information is spread rapidly, but it is also mixed. We need to learn to screen to avoid being influenced by these misconceptions in our lives and health. In short, sweets at appropriate levels of infection do not usually exacerbate the condition, and there is no need to be too scared and blind to allow the idea of a science diet to keep us healthy.
