Sick During the Holidays? 7 Unexpected Reasons You’re Under the Weather

You eat more sweets

‘Tis the season for frosted cookies, candy canes, and sugary lattes, but digging into sugar can affect your waistline and your immune system. “There’s evidence that sugar consumption lessens our abilities to fight off infections,” says Kathryn Boling, MD, a family medicine doctor at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. “We put ourselves at increased risk right at the peak of the cold and flu season.” While there are ways to boost your immune system naturally, eating simple sugars can halt phagocytosis, a process in which white blood cells attack and engulf viruses and bacteria, by 50 percent. To keep sweets in check, munch on one of these healthy snacks you never need to feel guilty about eating before heading to holiday parties and opt for sugar-free beverages.

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