Why You Should Avoid These 8 Worst Foods For Your Brain

Picture this: you have an important presentation to deliver, but your mind feels foggy, your thoughts are scattered, and your memory seems unreliable. Could your diet be to blame? Absolutely! 

The foods we consume can have a profound impact on our brain health, influencing memory, cognition, and even our risk of age-related cognitive decline. In this blog, we'll delve into the world of nutrition and uncover the eight worst foods for your brain. 

Get ready to nourish your brain and unleash your mental prowess!

Worst foods for your brain to avoid

1. Baked foods and sugar

Puts you at risk of: loss of self-control, overeating, and subsequent weight gain

The brain uses more energy than any other organ in the human body and glucose is its primary source of fuel. But when the brain is exposed to an excessive amount of sugars, it can lead to impaired cognitive skills and decreased self-control, leaving you craving for more.

• Processed sugary foods also have a drug-like effect in the reward center of the brain, which can produce addiction-like effects, driving the loss of self-control, overeating, and subsequent weight gain.
• According to Harvard University, high blood glucose levels can affect the brain's functional connectivity, which links brain regions that share functional properties, and brain matter. It can cause the brain to atrophy or shrink. Even a single instance of elevated glucose in the bloodstream can be harmful to the brain, resulting in slowed cognitive function, deficits in memory, problems with attention, inflammation in the brain contributing to further memory difficulties.
• A 2016 study published in the journal ‘Behavioral Brain Research’ has found inflammatory markers in the hippocampus of those fed a high sugar diet. Avoid baked foods, as they are high in both added sugar and trans fats, that can increase inflammation and the risk of dementia.

2. Refined carbohydrates

Puts you at risk of: increase in blood sugar levels 

Simple or refined carbohydrates like sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and flour products cause blood sugar levels to spike and then crash.

• When your brain glucose level becomes low, you could experience mental symptoms like brain fog, mood swings, irritability, confusion, anxiety and impaired judgment.
• A 2020 research, published in ‘Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association’, shows that too many refined carbs increase your risk of Alzheimer's, especially in those who are genetically predisposed to it.

What to eat: Go for whole-grain breads, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta when you eat carbs.

3. Artificial sweeteners

Puts you at risk of: Stroke and dementia

Research published in the American Heart Association’s journal ‘Stroke’, in 2017, has found that the artificial sweeteners used in diet drinks are a serious cause for concern, because they have been linked to a greater risk of stroke and dementia.

• The study notes that people who sip at least one diet soda a day are nearly three times as likely to have a stroke or develop dementia. Scientists think that artificial sweeteners may be the offending ingredient.
• Sugar and artificial sugar substitutes have a negative impact on cognitive function, mental health, and memory.

What to eat: Choose natural sweeteners like stevia, maple syrup or spices like cinnamon to sweeten your desserts.

4. Fried foods

Puts you at risk of: Inflammation within the body 

According to WebMD, those who eat a lot of fried, processed foods tend to fare worse on tests that measure their thinking skills. The likely reason: fried and fatty foods.

• These guilty pleasures cause inflammation, which can damage the blood vessels that supply the brain with blood and hurt the brain itself. Commercially fried foods tend to be high in saturated and trans-fat which can induce inflammation.
• Researchers at the Harvard Medical School point out that people who eat a lot of fried, processed foods tend to fare worse on tests that measure their thinking skills.
• The inflammation that these foods causes, can damage the blood vessels that supply the brain with blood and damage brain health.

What to eat: Opt for whole-food alternatives like air-popped popcorn or homemade vegetable crisps.

5. Alcohol

Puts you at risk of: Blackouts, and short-term memory loss 

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways and can affect the way the brain looks and works.

• It makes it harder for the brain areas controlling balance, memory, speech, and judgment to do their jobs, resulting in a higher likelihood of injuries and other negative outcomes.
• Alcohol misuse can cause alcohol-induced blackouts, where it temporarily blocks the transfer of memories from short-term to long-term storage in a brain area called the hippocampus.
• As people continue to abuse alcohol over time, progressive changes can occur in the structure and function of their brains, which can compromise brain function. An alcohol overdose can be deadly and can lead to permanent brain damage or death.

6. Red meat

Puts you at risk of: Increased heart attacks and stroke 

Two factors that seem to play a role in the buildup of plaques and tangles in the brain are oxidative damage by free radicals and inflammation.

• The MIND Diet, a research-based eating program aimed at keeping your memory and thinking sharp, would want you to avoid red meat. It is high in saturated fat, which is bad for your heart as well as your brain.
• A 2022 study by researchers at Tufts University and the Cleveland Clinic, published in the journal ‘Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology’, claims that higher red meat intake is associated with increased risk for heart attacks and strokes, partly because it contains carnitine, a nutrient found only in animal source foods, particularly in red meat. The researchers explain that gut bacteria transform carnitine into a substance called Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) which promotes blood vessel inflammation and increases clotting tendency.

What to eat: It’s advisable to limit red meat consumption and opt for leaner protein sources like poultry, fish, or plant-based alternatives.

7. Transfats

Puts you at risk of: Short and long-term memory loss 

Saturated fat has been connected to lower cognitive function and both short and long-term memory.

• According to a 2008 research published in the ‘Journal of Alzheimer's Disease’, diets rich in cholesterol and/or saturated fats have been shown to be detrimental to cognitive performance.
• Those who have a diet heavy in saturated fat, would be prone to atherosclerosis (plaque build-up inside your artery), which is one of the causes of cholesterol-induced cognitive impairment.
• Have cheese, a concentrated source of saturated fat, full-fat dairy, sparingly, because it can cause inflammation in the brain.
• High-fat diets also lead to inflammation in other parts of the body and damage the hypothalamus area of the brain that regulates body weight.

What to eat: Use brain-healthy olive oil instead, as also low-fat dairy, which is generally the healthier choice. Swap them out for healthier fats like avocado and nuts.

8. Bottled dressings, condiments, syrups

Puts you at risk of: Short and long-term memory loss 

High-fructose corn syrup, an inexpensive liquid six times sweeter than cane sugar, that is commonly added to processed foods, including bottled dressings, condiments, syrups and applesauce. 

Many of these products have large amounts of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) that is linked to memory loss and a decline in brain performance.

• A 2012 study from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), published in the ‘Journal of Physiology’, has found that long-term diets high in HFCS may alter the brain's ability to learn and remember information.
• HFCS can slow the brain and compromise memory. Added evidence shows that eating too much fructose could block insulin’s ability to regulate how cells use and store sugar for the energy required for processing thoughts and emotions.
• Insulin is important in the body for controlling blood sugar, but it may play a different role in the brain, where insulin appears to disturb memory and learning. A high-fructose diet harms the brain as well as the body. 
  What to eat: Try mixing up your own salad dressings or then, if you must buy readymade products, read the ingredients on the label carefully.

Conclusion

What you put on your plate can either nourish or harm your brain. By avoiding these eight worst foods for your brain, you can protect your cognitive abilities, improve memory, and reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline.

Opt for brain-boosting alternatives like fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Remember, the power to optimize your brain health lies in your hands and on your plate.

Fuel your mind with the right choices and unlock your full cognitive potential for a vibrant and fulfilling life.