By Dean Jones, C.P.M.

Mostly considered a contact illness, the common cold virus passes from person-to-person in mucus droplets expelled by an infected person and inhaled by an uninfected person. The human sneeze discharged into the air spews the most of these tiny droplets, and sadly, you may never see it coming from several hundred feet away. Cold viruses lurk on contaminated surfaces such as bathroom towels, toothpaste tubes, counter tops, doorknobs and the like. Once a contaminated hand(s) passes it to your eyes, nose, or mouth the throat receives it where it possibly takes hold.

It is the taking hold that you have control over and you may not realize just how much control you have through avoiding sugary filled products. Processed sugar clings to cells in the body and unless you are extremely physical, the body holds on to much of the processed sugars consumed. Refined sugar is a chemical that attaches itself to the cell surfaces throughout the body and can completely coat the surface of cells, even deep in the lungs. Too much of this coating interferes with the natural chains of sugars called glycans, which sit on the surface of our cells and control which different molecules enter. When a cold virus enters a body having excess refined sugar trapped cells, the protecting glycans are unproductive, thereby allowing an invading cold and potential flu virus to linger long enough to cause illness.

A body without refined sugar prevents a cold virus to linger, where through natural elimination it swiftly moves on. Should your immune system have some familiarity with the virus the chances of it ever mutating is unlikely, as the immune system will discharge its’ antibodies to eliminate it upon sight. Personally, cold reduction was a superlative improvement in my health after I stopped eating processed sugary products. Prior to eliminating processed sugar, I averaged 2-4 colds annually, and when I put an end to eating refined sugar colds became passé, where now I average one mild cold over a span of 2-years.

Apparently, medical doctors know about the dangers of processed sugars, as they consistently recommend sugar-free medications for relief from cold viruses. Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases report that most people spend more time indoors in cold weather, increasing the opportunity for viruses to spread faster in close quarters. What doctors do not speak enough about is how our immune systems are weakened from our over indulgence of pastries, sodas, concentrate fruit smoothies, and the like. Consider evaluating how you may be severely suppressing your immune system from eating Halloween candy, sugary-filled foods at social sport gatherings and year-end holiday parties, including disproportionate alcohol consumption, fried food gluttony, high sodium and carnivorous delicacies.

— Www.SugarAlert.com —
Dean L. Jones is a marketing strategist with the Southland Partnership Corporation, a public benefit organization. He has published a series of consumer alert articles based on his view of barefaced mismanagement of food/beverage products.