The brain being the most important part of the body requires excellent nutrition. Some foods can negatively impact the brain such as affecting memory and mood.
Removing some foods from the diet can help boost the brain’s health and guard against disorders like dementia.
According to Healthlinethe following are the six worst foods for the brain:
1. Sugary drinks
Soft drinks like soda, energy drinks, and even artificial fruit juices can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. These in turn increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia.
A high fructose dose leads to insulin resistance in the brain, reducing brain function, memory, and learning.
2. Refined Carbs
Sugar and highly processed grains like white flour have a high glycemic index (GI). They can lead to high blood sugar and insulin.
GI has been found to impact brain function, mainly memory.
Lower-GI foods like fruits, legumes, and vegetables are healthy alternatives.
3. Foods high in trans fats
Trans fats are unsaturated fats that affect the brain.
Hydrogenated vegetable oils are the main perpetrators. Artificial trans fats can also be found in frosting, snacks, prepackaged cookies, and margarine.
Higher consumption may lead to Alzheimer’s, poor memory, and cognitive decline.
It is important to increase the intake of omega-3 fats by eating fish, flax seeds, and walnuts.
4. Highly processed foods
Foods such as chips, instant noodles, store-bought sauces, and sweets can be quite harmful.
Such foods are very high in added fats, salt, and sugar.
These can also lead to poorer memory, Alzheimer’s, and stunted growth of neurons.
5. Aspartame
An artificial sweetener hidden in multiple sugar-free products has been linked to many behavioral and cognitive issues.
Aspartame is made of phenylalanine, methanol and aspartic acid.
Phenylalanine can disrupt neurotransmitters. Plus, aspartame increases the brain’s vulnerability to oxidative stress.
It can also cause negative emotions.
6. Fish high in mercury
Mercury is a heavy metal found in marine environments due to water pollution by industries. It can stay in animal tissue for a long time.
The metal is a neurological poison and ingesting it by eating fish can be dangerous. It can accumulate in the brain, liver, and kidneys.
It can disrupt the central nervous system, resulting in brain damage.
For fetuses and children, it can even lead to cerebral palsy and developmental deficits.
