The brain is the most important organ in your body. It keeps your heart beating, your lungs breathing, and all the systems in your body.
Therefore, it is necessary for the brain to remain functioning at its best, and this needs to choose the right foods and avoid harmful effects.
The Healthline website says that some foods have a negative effect on the brain, to the point of impairing memory capacity and increasing the risk of dementia.
Dementia is expected to affect more than 65 million people worldwide by 2030.
Fortunately, the risk of developing this serious health problem can be reduced by abstaining from certain foods and drinks, the most prominent of which are:
Sugary drinks: This list includes soda, sports drinks and energy drinks, and in addition to accumulating fat in your waist area, it increases the risk to the brain.
High blood sugar levels increase the risk of dementia, even for people who do not have diabetes.
Refined carbohydrates: Refined carbohydrates include sugars and heavily processed grains, and your body digests them quickly. This raises blood sugar levels as well as increases insulin levels.
Many studies have found that foods that increase blood sugar levels impair brain function.
For example, a study found that eating one of these foods can impair memory in both adults and children.
Foods that are high in trans fats: These fats are found in animal products such as meat, however they are not of much concern compared to industrially produced trans fats such as hydrogenated vegetable oils, it can be found in margarine, cakes and prepackaged biscuits.
Processed foods: Processed foods tend to be high in sugar, added fats, and salt. This list of foods includes chips, sweets, and instant pasta.
These foods are usually high in calories and low in nutrients, in addition to causing weight gain, they can have an impact on your brain health.
A study of about 250 people concluded that excess fat on organs, or what is known as visceral fat, is linked to brain tissue damage.
Aspartame: Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in many sugar-free products.
People choose this type of food when they want to lose weight or avoid sugar after developing diabetes, yet this sweetener has been linked to behavioral and cognitive problems, although some do not confirm the inevitability of this result.
Aspartame consists of phenylalanine, methanol and aspartic acid, and phenylalanine can cross the blood-brain barrier and possibly disrupt neurotransmitters. Scientists talked about the possibility that excessive intake of these foods could have negative effects on learning and emotion.
Alcohol: Excessive consumption of alcohol has dangerous effects on the brain, such as decreased brain volume. Alcoholics often suffer from a deficiency in vitamin B1, which can lead to a brain disorder that can in turn develop into “Korsakoff syndrome,” which causes severe damage to the brain, including memory loss.
Fish high in mercury: Mercury reaches the human body through seafood, which has a long life, such as swordfish, as it can absorb a million times the concentration of mercury compared to the surrounding water.
Mercury is a highly polluting substance that spreads throughout the human body after eating a fish meal that contains this substance, which is concentrated in the brain.
The effects of mercury toxicity include disruption of the central nervous system and neurotransmitters and stimulation of neurotoxins, resulting in brain damage.
