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Drs. Ringsdorf, Cheraskin and Ramsey (Dept. Oral Medicine, University of Alabama Medical School, Birmingham) published “Sucrose, Neutrophil Phagocytosis and Resistance to Disease”, in Dental Survey, 52: 12, 46-48, 1976, This was the result of a study on the effect of refined carbohydrates on the leukocyte index. The leukocyte index [LI] is a measure of how well our neutrophils (the white blood cells that engulf invading bacteria) are functioning. The LI is an index of how many organisms one white blood cell can engulf in an hour. In a healthy person, the average value is about 14. The LI in a person who has consumed a high carbohydrate meal (about 100 grams of carbohydrates) falls to less than 2 within 15 minutes and lasts for about 2 hours, demonstrating a rather dramatic compromise of the immune system for that period of time.
Two studies during the 1970's demonstrated that drinking 75 grams of glucose significantly reduced the ability of the leukocytes to engulf bacteria. This effect peaked one to two hours after this sugary drink and the effect persisted for up to five hours.
The studies were: Bernstein, J., et al, “Depression of lymphocyte transformation following oral glucose ingestion,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 30:613, 1977, and Sanchez, A., et al, “Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis,” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 26:180, 1973.
It is interesting that the most recent study regarding the leukocyte index and glucose intake was 1977. It would be helpful to see more current studies verifying these findings and the effect of sugar intake on other aspects of the immune system.
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