Do you indulge in more sugar than usual during the holidays, on your birthday, or at other special events?

February is my birthday month so I get it. I’ll be enjoying some treats like my favorite healthy version of Nutella pie.

Most of us consume more sugar during special events… I’m not judging.

You likely know how health-conscious I am, so I tend to enjoy more raw desserts with a healthy twist, but not everyone knows how to make these beauties.

But putting on a few extra pounds may be the least of your worries.

Did you know that excess sugar consumption can deplete certain nutrients needed to keep your immune system working properly?

Keeping your immune system strong is crucial for optimal health. And during these times of stress, strong viruses, flu, and politics, it’s even more important.

I can’t stop you from eating too much sugar, but I can empower you to take better care of yourself! <3

There are a few key nutrients you should take around the holidays, birthdays, or times when you may be consuming sugar. This way you avoid certain nutrient- deficiencies that are caused by sugar consumption.

5 Key Nutrients Needed When Consuming Excess Sugar

1. Vitamin D 3

Sugar is a double whammy for poor vitamin D. It actually increases the expression of the enzyme responsible for breaking it down AND decreases the expression of the one needed to make it from sunshine. There are a bunch of complex processes that must occur in your skin, liver, and kidneys in order to convert the unusable vitamin D3 to the usable form. ( For an in-depth explanation of see my blog on vitamin D3 here.)

So, sugar does a number on your levels of vitamin D3 by simultaneously impairing your ability to process vitamin D3 and quickly rendering it useless.

Once this happens, a vicious cycle begins because low vitamin D makes sugar’s inflammatory effects even worse, while weakening your immune system

2. Calcium

Sugar’s depletion of vitamin D affects calcium too because vitamin D is needed in order to move calcium into your bones.

So, sugar = less vitamin D = less calcium.

On top of that, sugar also increases calcium loss by blocking its ability to be reabsorbed.

3. B Vitamins

B vitamins are involved in the process of converting sugar into energy. So, when you eat sugar, you need more B vitamins than usual to process it.

If you don’t have any readily available, your body will pull them from wherever it can. And since processed sugar only “takes” and never “gives,” depletion of these critical vitamins is inevitable.

4. Magnesium

Like calcium, sugar makes you lose magnesium faster by blocking reabsorption and plowing through your reserves – which are lost in the process of metabolizing sugar.

That puts you in a really bad spot because magnesium helps cells take in sugar. So when magnesium is low, your ability to regulate blood sugar is impaired.

That sets the stage for higher sugar levels, followed by sugar crashes, and even lower magnesium reserves!

5. Vitamin C

Both sugar and vitamin C use the same transporter – insulin – to enter cells. When they’re present at the same time, they compete for absorption.

And guess who wins? Yep, sugar.

And if vitamin C is just waiting around to be absorbed, that means you’re not receiving its benefits such as boosting your immune function, repairing your tissues, helping with collagen formation, and more.

Vitamin C is also water-soluble, which means it will be excreted more quickly by the kidneys, in this case, before you even had the chance to use it.

I teach that food is medicine, but it can also be a poison.

I’m not encouraging you to eat more sugar, but when you do, you can decrease the negative impact a bit by giving your body key nutrients that can get easily depleted by eating sugar.

Blessings of Vibrant Health
Kristin Grayce