Eating fast food every day is a lousy choice to achieve a healthy life and longevity. I'm sure most of the people out there were familiar with the effect that this particular food could do to you. Of course, they wouldn't advertise that to the general public; it's bad publicity. Immune system which has roles in protecting our body from a foreign insult have been proven to react similarly to fat and high caloric consumption just the way they were acting when a virus or bacteria have invaded the body. This phenomenon can expose people to a long-term inflammation which could lead to metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus.
A western diet which is perceived to contain more saturated fat, sugar and less fibre can provoke the immune system even more. This could cause further inflammation which has been associated with reduced longevity (apparently). This inflammation could also lead to cardiovascular diseases which are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. If you're unfamiliar with the function of immune system, you don't want to mess them up. Fast food which is known to disrupt physiological changes in the immune system was thought to be permanent due to the role of the innate immune system which forms a memory cell. This phenomenon has been proven in a study which involved mice. Just like an infection, every time, when you decide to eat fast food, the body defence system would respond quickly, thanks to the memory cells.
Other things could make things complicated with your immune system apart from the diet would include:
Getting not enough sleep: Sleep is essential to ensure a healthy and long life. The immune system works efficiently to fight for invaders while we are sleeping, that's why, when you had a fever, you will feel much better after you've got enough sleep. The damage caused by fast food combined with not getting enough sleep will cause your immune system go haywire.
Sitting All Day - Reduced physical activity has been linked to increased chances of getting cardiovascular disease. Just walking for an hour every day can give you lots of benefits. In the recent study, it has been found that a respiratory infection will last 45% longer if you sit a lot compared to someone who leads an active life. Even though the connection is not clear, but the role of the immune system has been thought as one of the most critical factors at play here.
Depression - Chronic depression has been found to cause some wreck to the immune system. This phenomenon has been proven by a few studies which discover that people who have been dealing with chronic stresses have been developing flu much frequent compared to the healthy people.
Further Readings
- Myles, I. A. (2014). Fast food fever: reviewing the impacts of the Western diet on immunity. Nutrition Journal, 13, 61.
- Lauren Cahn. This Is What Fast Food Actually Does to Your Immune System. Reader's digest. Retrieved February 25, 2018 from https://www.rd.com/health/healthy-eating/fast-food-affects-immune-system/
