We often hear the expression, “We are what we eat.” This should make us a little more precise in our food selection. Food affects the health of the whole organism. Obviously, it is important for this most vital organ to be healthy. Healthy eating slows the rate of cognitive decline in aging and drastically reduces the risk of dementia.
There are foods that are extremely harmful to your brain. If you consume them too often, you will probably experience confusion, low mood and delayed reactions. The depressed brain has a poor judgment of the right decisions.
Trans fat
They are contained in animal products. They do not cause as many problems as industrially produced trans fats, which are used in all types of packaged foods.
Excessive consumption of trans fats in the form of margarine, store-bought pastries, chips and crackers, frozen and canned foods, predisposes to the development of Alzheimer’s and dementia. It also leads to earlier cognitive decline, less brain volume and poorer memory.
Sweet drinks
Sweet drinks such as soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks and even fruit juice have no nutritional value. Excessive use can lead to a host of physical disabilities, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Alzheimer’s and dementia.
The high content of sweetener reduces the ability to learn, memory, overall brain function and the formation of new neurons in the brain, causes inflammation of the brain, adversely affects all types of brain function.
Refined carbohydrates
These are foods made with processed grains. They don’t have to be sweet, but they break down into sugar in your body very quickly. This is because the refining process removes all the fiber and nutrients from the grains. A dish rich in refined carbohydrates is a high glycemic load that raises your blood sugar.
This acts as if you have eaten sugar. Causes memory impairment, inflammation and a higher risk of dementia.
Processed and packaged foods
Processed and packaged foods replace whole foods with sugar, fat and salt. This is our so-called Western diet, which relies on convenience and fast food instead of slow-cooked homemade dishes. Understandably, people are busy and sometimes it is simply not possible to prepare homemade sauces, dressings, pastes and pastries.
Excessive use of these foods leads to damage to brain tissue and a decrease in brain volume, damage to the membrane that is responsible for protecting the brain from harmful substances.
Alcohol
Chronic alcohol consumption shrinks the brain and disrupts the neurotransmitters your brain uses to communicate. Alcoholics are also often deficient in vitamin B1, which leads to the development of Korsakov syndrome. This syndrome is responsible for severe brain damage with memory loss, confusion, instability and periodic vision loss.
Fish containing mercury
However, some fish are particularly rich in mercury, which is a contaminant, a heavy metal and a neurological poison.
Predatory fish usually have the highest concentration of mercury in their flesh. It is best to avoid or limit the intake of tuna, mackerel, shark to prevent damage to the neurotransmitters in your brain.
Aspartame
Unfortunately, it is not possible to avoid the harm of consuming too much sugar by replacing it with an artificial sweetener. By no means with aspartame. Although the manufacturers of this sugar substitute swear that it is safe, several studies have linked aspartame to behavioral and cognitive problems. Like chemical stress, it can cause harmful effects on the ability to learn and regulate emotions.
