The 15 Worst Foods for Brain Health, According to Science
The human brain is actually one of the most powerful organs in the body and we certainly can’t do without it for the simple reason that it regulates other body organs. Actually, it controls almost all them. It is responsible for the beating of your heart and also the reality that you’re breathing because it regulates the lungs. Every time you’re feeling scared, have memories of an event and whatever feelings you might have, most of them remain in your brain. To have seen the important things your brain is responsible for, it is crucial that you consume the best foods to keep it healthy and also functioning properly. You want your brain clear and also for that reason, healthy eating is a requirement. It will in addition slow down the speed of cognitive decline and also lowers risk of dementia as you age.
You will find foods which are terrible for the best functioning of your brain however. They could wind up leading to confusion; They can lead to a slower reaction or even make you feel really low. You actually don’t wish your ability to make very good decisions to be affected, do you? If so, it is important to stop some bad dietary habits. Simply get rid of the following foods from your eating habits.
15. Fish High in Mercury
Generally, fish is great for your overall health. It is lower in saturated fat and at exactly the same time, it contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids. In addition, it contains vitamin B12, iron, magnesium and zinc.
That might be so but unfortunately, some fish come with high levels of mercury. Mercury is a heavy metal contaminant that can poison your brain.
Mercury remains in human beings and animal tissue for a long time. Mercury is mainly contained in fish that is long-lived and predatory in nature. That is because the longer they live the longer they eat other fish. In a single lifetime, amazingly, they are able to accumulate mercury levels of up to one million times the concentration of water where they swim.
To be safe, it is advisable to stay away from or even limit the quantity of tuna fish, king mackerel, swordfish, orange roughy, tilefish and shark to maintain your brain secure from disruption of neurotransmitters.
14. Trans Fats
It is worth noting that not all fats are bad for yourself but trans fats have a bad impact on the human brain.
They’re often present in animal products like dairy and meat naturally however the worst is the one produced industrially which in turn get pumped into packed foods.
They’re often known as hydrogenated oils and are mainly eaten in the type of chips, crackers, margarine, store-bought baked goods, frozen as well as canned food and creamy drinks.
These increase one ‘s chances of getting Alzheimer’s and dementia, lower brain volume, cognitive decline along with a bad memory.
13. Ribeye Steak
Ribeye steak is a favorite for most when it comes to steaks however, it is also the worst due to the total amount of extra fat it contains, around 26 grams of the nutrient in a serving of 6 ounces and saturated fats at 12 grams.
This is bad not only for the regular functioning of your heart but also your brain as it may cause Alzheimer’s Disease and may also affect your cognitive function.
12. Sugary Drinks
Sugary beverages like sports drinks, sodas, fruit juice and energy drinks have little or no nutritional value. Regular consumption of such drinks may result in lots of physical impairments.
Some of them include diabetes type 2, high blood pressure, cholesterol and yes, actually brain-related conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and also dementia.
Intake of fructose in high amounts reduces your potential to learn, overall brain function and also formation of neurons. This fructose is in plenty in sugary beverages and might lead to inflammation in the human brain. This can affect all sorts of brain function.
11. Refined Carbs
Refined carbohydrates refer to those items that are produced with processed grains. They don’t exactly have to be sweet though they actually do break down into sugar quickly whenever they get into your body as a result of refining process.
The refining process gets rid of all of the fiber from the original grain. Any time you eat a meal that is high in refined carbohydrates, you will get a really high glycemic load which will result in a spike in your glucose levels.
It basically causes exactly the same issues that eating straight sugars would result in. These include dementia, memory impairment and inflammation.
Based on scientific studies, actually, children who eat a diet plan which contains high quantities of refined carbohydrates typically get a lower score when it comes to nonverbal intelligence tests.
10. Aspartame
It is unfortunately not possible to stay away from the harm that sugar can cause simply by switching it with artificial sweeteners.
Aspartame is in fact worse for your overall health. Its producers will often claim it is safe but based on studies, aspartame can cause cognitive and behavioral problems.
It is a chemical stressor and may greatly impact your ability to learn and also have control of your emotions.
Consumption of aspartame might have you score much less on mental tests. Aspartame puts you at a higher risk of obtaining a stroke as well as dementia.
9. Ice-cream
Many people are going to treat themselves to some ice-cream just to stay away from the afternoon slump but do you know this causes more damage than good?
Ice-cream contains some artery-clogging saturated fats and lots of sugar. These, based on scientific studies diminishes your cognitive skills and also your verbal memory.
Rather than ice cream, choose Greek yogurt instead and get it with some blueberries or some strawberries.
8. Vegetable Oils
You’d believe that vegetable oils are much healthier than butter but no. Soybean, sunflower and canola oils contain omega-6 in high levels and this also results in inflammation in the brain.
These have been associated with Alzheimer’s Disease and impaired memory. In as much as the Omega-6 fatty acids are required by your body, for the health of your bones, skin and hair, it is advisable to choose oils like olive oil instead as they have better omega-3s
7. Processed And Packaged Foods
Processed and packaged foods are found to eliminate the main nutrition that is present in entire food. Even worse, these food items replace it with sugar, fat in addition to salt.
Unfortunately, plenty of people prefer these foods over slow cooked homemade dishes since they are quick and convenient. But, it is preferable to try almost as possible to cook healthy whole foods if you don’t want an accumulation of extra fat around your vital body organs.
This accumulation of fat might cause problems for the brain and also cause decrease in the volume of the human brain. It may also disrupt the blood-brain barrier which is responsible for the protection of the brain from damaging substances.
6. Alcohol
This shouldn’t really come as a surprise considering all of the incorrect selections people make when they’re drunk. Having a drink or two every once in a while will not result in very much damage to you however, long term excessive drinking is harmful to the overall health of your brain.
Whenever you make drinking a habit, your brain shrinks as well as the alcohol is able to disrupt the neurotransmitters that your brain need in order for communication to take place.
Most alcoholics will experience a deficiency in the very important vitamin B1 and this may cause the enhancement of Korsakoff’s syndrome, which is responsible for severe brain damage, which brings about confusion, memory loss, unsteadiness and also intermittent loss of eyesight.
5. Cured Meats
Eating cured meats can easily end up making your brain foggy. Examples of those include bacon, pastrami, capicola, bacon, prosciutto, among others.
Each time you try to eat foods packed with salt and protein, your entire body ends up needing to use much more water to get rid of the naturally occurring nitrogen in those foods.
This leaves you with much less water in the body and can subsequently impact your cognitive skills because you can end up hydrated.
Stay away from cured meats to ensure you are protected from distractions. Furthermore, drink great deal of water if you choose to indulge.
4. Soy Sauce
It is really common to add some soy sauce to foods as sushi but do you know that just a tablespoon of it has around 40% of the suggested daily salt intake?
Based on scientific studies, hypertension that comes about as a result of eating a lot of salt as well as sodium-packed foods as soy sauce might end up restricting blood to the brain and can additionally end up interfering with your concentration, your memory and organizational skills altogether.
Too much intake of salt will make it more difficult for you to remain focused.
3. Frozen Pizza
Foods high in fat are known to cause fatigue, which could make your brain feel less sharp. Frozen pizza is really harmful to the health of your brain as it serves 24 grams of fat in only a single serving.
If you want to have some frozen pizza or pie in the home, go for the kinds with fewer fat for example Peas of Mind Cheese which only contains five grams of fat or pick Kashi Stone-Fired Thin Crust Pizza Mushroom Trio and Spinach which contains about 9 grams of fat.
2. Citrus And Diet Sodas
Brominated vegetable oils have been banned in many countries. Small amounts are not necessarily harmful but they are used in beverages such as these and might build up in the body system and eventually lead to loss of memory in addition to nervous disorders.
The sugars in these beverages will have a bad effect on one ‘s memory and can make it more difficult for you to get results.
1. Fried Foods
Foods like donuts and fries aside from being harmful to your waistline and weight, in general, can cause trouble for your brain.
People who eat a diet that primarily contains fried foods score poorly in tests, have more difficult time learning and also have impaired brain function.
It is advisable to pick food items that are either grilled or baked and choose those that are brain boosters instead.
