Experts details why a specific list of foods and drinks negatively impacts our brain health.
To promote good brain health, experts list foods and drinks that could cause dementia and mental illness. Check out what experts said about each category below and why you should limit your intake.
Fruit juices And Sugary Drinks
Registered dietitian, Susan Kelly, says it’s best to eat whole fruit instead of consuming it in drink form. According to The British Heart Foundation, mixing fruit causes natural sugars “to be released from within the cell walls of the fruit and become ‘free sugars.’”
“Many people [drink] a tall glass of fruit juice in their breakfast without realizing how badly it is affecting their brain,” Kelly says. “Fruit juices have some useful nutrients, but still, they are sugary beverages that have almost no fiber in them. The consumption of sugary beverages is blamed for lowering total brain volume and hippocampal volume.”
Too Much Alcohol
While most people love attending happy hour after work, this is also not good for your brain if done excessively. Kelly says that drinking too much alcohol can lead to depression. She adds that women should drink alcohol once a day while men should stick to two drinks.
“Alcoholic beverages affect your brain’s communication pathways to a great extent,” Kelly says. “It becomes difficult for a person who drinks a lot of alcohol to remember things and process new data while leaving him depressed and disordered easily.”
“To avoid such damage to the brain, women should not drink more than one glass of alcohol, and men should stick to two glasses in a day.”
Refined Sugars
Tasty treats such as pastries, ice cream, candy, etc., are considered unhealthy because of the refined sugar content.
Registered dietitian, Trisha K. Best, says, “The gut contains beneficial bacteria known as the microbiota, which plays a key role in maintaining health in both the body and mind. These health benefits include mental health as well. This is known as the ‘gut-brain axis.”
She adds that to understand the “gut-brain axis,” you’ll first have to understand the enteric nervous system. This system is a network of neurons that line your intestinal tract and carry messages from the gut to the brain and back.
“Researchers have found that a direct line of communication exists between the brain and your enteric nervous system. This is what they call the gut-brain axis. This line of communication works both ways. Linking the emotional and cognitive centers of the brain with peripheral intestinal function. This connection makes it vitally important to keep the gut healthy and the microbiome in balance.”
Refined Grains
Like refined sugars, consuming refined grains like white bread and pizza can impact a healthy brain.
Instead of intaking refined grains, experts encourage opting for whole grains. To name a few options, whole wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal are all excellent alternatives.
“Refined grains elevate inflammation and can worsen one’s mental health,” M.D. Sheetal DeCaria said. “Elevated levels of inflammation have been linked to mental health disorders, including depression and fatigue.”
Inflammatory Foods
Speaking of inflammation, another type of food to steer clear of is the kind that’s considered inflammatory. According to Kelly, this type of food can damage your blood vessels.
“Junk, fried foods, sugary products, and red meat are the enemies of your brain if you overindulge in them. These foods trigger inflammation and damage the blood vessels of your brain, which increase your risk of developing dementia and affecting cognitive abilities.”
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