We all know the drill. You feel a head cold coming on — maybe your nose is getting stuffy, or your throat is kinda sore — so you make a beeline for the refrigerator and pour yourself the biggest glass of orange juice known to man.
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But has anyone ever actually felt better after taking all that OJ to the face? What if I told you it’s actually making you sicker?
The truth is, although orange juice does contain Vitamin C, it also contains a shit ton of sugar. In fact, a 12-oz. glass of orange juice contains as much sugar as a 12-oz. glass of Coke.
But who cares about sugar when you’re getting your much needed Vitamin C, right? Wrong.
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Sugar actually slows down your immune system, which makes your impending cold worse instead of better. Basically, glucose (or sugar) uses the same receptors in your body as Vitamin C, which means only one can win. The higher your blood sugar, the less your Vitamin C intake.
Higher blood sugar also impairs your body’s ability to absorb Vitamin C into the kidneys. So not only do you need to drink more Vitamin C, your body is absorbing even less.
I know, I know — how will you get your Vitamin C? You may not know this, but there are many other ways to get a dose of Vitamin C that don’t come in a glass.
Eating citrus fruit in its natural state, without all the added sugar, is one of the best ways. Multivitamins and Vitamin C tablets will also do the trick. Or you can try boosting your immune system with these foods.
If your sickness has officially set in, you might want to use one of these remedies.
So ditch that glass of OJ the next time you feel sick and make yourself some hot tea, or pop a few chewable Vitamin C tablets (they taste like orange Smarties aka ah-mazing) instead.
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