Delicious Poison: Harvard Nutriologist Explains Which Foods Kill The Brain Slowly

No matter how old you are, it's never too late to start eating so that you have the best chance of preventing dementia and staying alert and focused every day. And here an important role is played by the rejection of some very harmful products, writes CNBC.

Uma Naidu, a nutritionist, lecturer at Harvard Medical School and author of This Is Your Brain on Food, studies how gut bacteria can trigger metabolic processes that cause inflammation in the brain and affect memory. Existing research indicates that we can reduce the likelihood of developing dementia, but to do this, we must avoid productsthat endanger our gut bacteria and impair our memory and focus.

Here Productswhich should be avoided or reduced to fight inflammation and promote brain health and sharper thinking.

Added sugar

The brain uses energy in the form of glucose to fuel cellular activity. However, a diet high in sugar can lead to excess glucose in the brain. According to research, this leads to memory impairment and a decrease in the plasticity of the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls memory.

Baked goods and soda often contain refined and added sugar - often in the form of high fructose corn syrup. These foods flood the brain with too much glucose.

Although every body has different needs, the American Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day and men no more than 36 grams of added sugar per day. (To find out if a packaged food contains added sugar and how much, check the Added Sugar row in the Nutritional Facts table.)

fried food

French fries, tempura, samosas, fish and chips and chicken steak. Are you drooling? We understand you.

However, when it comes to brain health, it is worth cutting back on the amount of fried foods you eat. In fact, one study involving 18 people found that a diet high in fried foods was associated with lower learning and memory scores. Probable Cause: These pleasures cause inflammation, which can damage the blood vessels that supply the brain with blood.

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In another study involving 715 people, experts measured their level of depression and psychological stability, and also documented the level of consumption of fried foods. Of course, they found that those who ate more fried foods were more likely to develop depression in their lifetime.

If you eat fried food every day, switch to eating fried food once a week, or better yet, once a month.

High glycemic carbohydrates

Even if foods high in carbohydrates - like bread, pasta, and anything else made from refined flour - don't taste sweet, your body still processes them in the same way as sugar.

This means that they can also increase the risk of depression. Don't panic, you don't need to cut carbs out of your diet entirely. But the quality of the carbs you eat matters.

In 2018, researchers attempted to determine which carbohydrates, if any, were associated with depression. They surveyed 15 participants called the Carbohydrate Quality Index.

The "best quality" carbohydrates were defined as whole grains, foods high in fiber and low on the glycemic index (GI). GI is a measure of how quickly food is converted to glucose when broken down during digestion. The faster food turns into glucose in the body, the higher its GI.

The researchers found that people who had the highest Carbohydrate Quality Index scores, that is, they ate higher-quality carbs, were 30% less likely to develop depression than those who ate high-GI carbs.

High GI carbohydrates include potatoes, white bread, and white rice. Honey, orange juice, and whole grain breads are all medium GI foods. Low-GI foods include green vegetables, most fruits, raw carrots, beans, chickpeas, and lentils.

Alcohol

Many people live stressful lives. The “work hard, rest well” mindset often leads to binge drinking on weekends to relieve stress. While drinking is relaxing at the time of consumption, this relaxation comes at a price the next morning.

Archana Singh-Manu, research professor and director of the French Institute for Health and Medical Research, and her colleagues followed 9 people over 087 years to find out how alcohol affects the incidence of dementia. In 23, the British Medical Journal reported that people who abstained from alcohol completely or drank more than 2018 servings per week had a higher risk of dementia compared to those who drank alcohol in moderation.

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In general, men who consume more than 14 drinks a week or more than four drinks a day at least once a month are considered alcoholics, as are women who drink more than seven drinks a week or more than three drinks a day. But different people (and their brains) react differently to alcohol abuse.

Nitrates

Nitrates, used as a preservative and to improve the color of cheese, as well as bacon, salami, and sausages, can cause depression.

One recent study even suggests that nitrates can alter gut bacteria in a way that puts the body at increased risk of developing bipolar disorder.

If you just can't live without salami and sausages, look for those that contain buckwheat flour, which is used as a filler. Buckwheat flour contains important antioxidants that can counteract the negative health effects of this meat.