Complications from diabetes can cause cardiovascular and kidney disease, negatively affecting the immune system. These effects leave you more prone to infectious disease, such as foodborne illness. As a diabetic patient, your immune system may not immediately recognize harmful foodborne pathogens, increasing your risk for infection.
Glucose Levels
High glucose levels suppress the function of white blood cells that fight off infection, increasing your risk of contracting a foodborne illness. If you have diabetes and contract a foodborne illness, your blood glucose levels may be affected because foodborne illness impacts what and how much you can eat.
Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract
Diabetes may cause your stomach to produce low amounts of digestive acid. In addition, food may not move through the digestive tract as quickly as in non-diabetic persons. When the stomach holds on to food longer than necessary, bacteria start to multiply. If the amount of harmful bacteria in the stomach gets too high, it can lead to foodborne illness.
Kidneys
Kidneys usually work to cleanse the body. For many diabetes patients, the kidneys may not function properly, giving harmful bacteria the opportunity to grow out of control.