By Dean L. Jones, C.P.M.
The odds are 1 in 4 of catching a summer cold, although there are several common risk factors that can be avoided to greatly improve the odds. Such as being aware of coming more in contact with people traveling from out-of-town who may introduce unfamiliar bacterium. Air conditioners are notorious for pulling the moisture out of the air through a re-circulating process, which can dry out the inside nose lining making you more vulnerable to viruses.
Another thing is how we can lower the immune system’s ability to fight off bacteria by taking part in the many events that occur in the summer, which have built-in stressful conditions that stem from traveling, parties, outings, camping, etc. Particularly, consider how summer events come standard with consuming sugary filled items like sodas, cakes, cookies and the like. Eating processed sugar puts extreme stress on the immune system decreasing white blood cells, which prevent bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal infections, and even cancer.
While taking pleasure in the summer events, pay attention to over indulging in consuming those frequently available sodas. We might be conditioned into thinking that they refresh one’s thirst, however, a 12-ounce can of a sugary filled soda can reduce the ability of white blood cells to eliminate bacteria by 40% for up to six hours. So, just think when you have that sweetened pie, cake, candy and/or soda just how vulnerable you are to bacterium and viruses that can easily deliver that summer cold from a severely suppressed immune system. Shockingly, drinking a can of soda has the same negative effect on the liver organ as a can of beer, so whenever you get together over food and beverages and the kids request a sugary soda, the responsible decision should be the same as if they asked for a beer.
This is where a lot of people believe that if they avoid the processed sugar filled soda and instead drink an artificially sweetened soda all is okay. Wrong, because most artificially sweetened sodas use Aspartame for sweetness that is a proven neurological toxin. It is bad enough the damage that processed sugar-filled sodas can do to the liver and/or in the case of an artificial sweetener that can be a neurotoxin, consequently, limiting and avoiding sodas altogether makes a lot of sense. Bear in mind that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is also a liver toxin, because it metabolizes in the body the same way alcohol is metabolized. What is interesting is that alcohol is metabolized by the brain so you get effects called intoxication i.e., impaired judgment, slowed response time, impaired motor function, etc. On the other hand, HFCS is not metabolized by the brain, so you do not notice the immediate effect on the body as you do with drinking alcohol.
Mr. Jones is a marketing strategist with the Southland Partnership Corporation (a public benefit organization), sharing his view on mismanagement practices of packaged foods & beverages.
