For Good Physical and Mental health, we should choose to eat healthy food. Mr. Ratan Tata says “Eat food as your medicine, or else you have to eat medicine as your food”. This sentence is well proven now a days. In These days, Most of us are eating various processed and unhealthy food that can damage your brain and health. In this Article i have listed 8 types of food that can damage your brain.
Worst Foods That can Damage Your Brain Health
1.Highly Processed Food
2. Sugary Drinks
3. Alcohol
4. Refined Carb
5. Fish High In Mercury
6. Red Meat
7. Fast Food
8. Artificial Sugar Sweetened beverages-Aspartame
1.Highly Processed Food
Highly processed foods like processed meat, pizza, white bread, are the main cause of negative health outcomes, and these can harm the health of your brain . Several studies have linked Western diets, which tend to contain a lot of processed, fried and fast foods leads to worse memory and learning scores. On the other hand less or not processed foods are known to be protective. Greater consumption of processed foods increases sugar level and possibility of stroke.
2. Sugary Drinks
We often buy and have various types of drinks. Mostly all of them are highly sugary. This includes soda, pop, cola, tonic, fruit punch, lemonade, sweetened powdered drinks, as well as sports and energy drinks. There are 4.2 grams of sugar in a single teaspoon. Now, imagine scooping up 7 to 10 teaspoons full of sugar and dumping it into your 12-ounce glass of water.
Sugary drinks fall at the bottom of the list because they provide so many calories and virtually no other nutrients. People who drink sugary beverages do not feel as full as if they had eaten the same calories from solid food, and research indicates they also don’t compensate for the high caloric content of these beverages by eating less food. It causes weight gain and thus can damage your brain.
3. Alcohol
Alcohol affects the brain in many ways. In the short term, it leads to slurred speech, blurred vision, decreased coordination, and i memory loss. Long-term effects include neurotoxicity, which damages brain cells, and the risk of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, characterized by amnesia, confusion, and eyesight issues . Thus is very Dangerous for our health and brain and Consumption higher amount of alcohol can damage your brain.
4. Refined Carb
Refined carbohydrates, also known as Refined carbs or processed carbs, can have significant effects on brain health in many ways.
Some of them are
Blood Sugar Spikes: Refined carbs lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar levels after meals. This can promote hunger and stimulate parts of the brain associated with reward and craving which causes overeating and obesity
Nutrient Depletion: During the refining process, the most nutritious parts of whole grains are removed. This leaves refined grains with almost no fiber, vitamins, or minerals.
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF): Excess sugar in the blood, refined from carbs, appears to decrease BDNF, a chemical in the brain associated with learning, memory, and overall brain health.
So excess consumption of refined carb can damage your brain and limiting it and adopting for whole grains can positively influence brain function.
5. Fish High In Mercury
Mercury is a naturally occurring heavy metal that can build up in fish due to water pollution. Some fish species like Shark, Swordfish contain high levels of mercury, which can harm brain function and heart health and thus can damage your brain. However, the health benefits of eating fish may outweigh these risks as long as you limit your intake of high-mercury fish.
6. Red Meat
Red meat contains essential nutrients like protein, vitamin B12, and zinc. These play crucial roles in overall health, including brain function. However, too much red meat may have negative effects. Iron buildup disrupts communication between neurons, potentially linking it to Alzheimer’s disease. Copper, also found in red meat which can damage your brain.
7. Fast Food
Fast food like burger, noodle lacks essential nutrients, which can lead to a decrease in brain health. Regular consumption of fast food may rob your brain of necessary nutrients.
Fast food is highly processed and activates reward centers in the brain rapidly. This can lead to have preference for processed foods over fresh, whole foods. This leads to negatively impair focus, organizational skills, and memory loss.
8. Artificial Sugar Sweetened beverages-Aspartame
Aspartame, commonly found in artificial sweeteners like Equal and NutraSweet, has been associated with potential effects on brain health.
Aspartame is thought to elevate cortisol (a stress hormone) levels, which can make the brain vulnerable to inflammation. Researchers recommend limiting intake of artificial sweeteners, especially for individuals with preexisting depression or other mental health conditions.
For a healthy brain and better health you should limit these kinds of food.