Four of the Most Damaging Foods for Your Brain

There are foods that can affect brain function in the medium and long term. In this article we talk about four of them

There are a number of damaging foods for your brain. For this reason, you should certainly reduce your consumption of them. Otherwise, you could develop chronic and complex disorders that ultimately put your health at risk.

Food influences most of the physiological reactions of your body. Therefore, if your diet isn’t optimal, your organs may stop working so effectively and start to progressively deteriorate.

The most damaging foods for your brain

Next, we’ll tell you about four of the most damaging foods for your brain. It’s obviously best if you restrict them as much as possible. However, some of them can be consumed in moderation, although always in the context of a varied and balanced diet.

Alcoholic drinks

Alcohol is a toxic substance regardless of the dose consumed. For this reason, you should avoid its intake. Furthermore, according to a study published in the journal, Alcohol and Alcoholism, this poison is capable of increasing the risk of developing dementia during adulthood.

In addition, not only does alcohol cause short-term and transitory brain function problems, but it also affects your memory. It even causes a deterioration at the cognitive level that manifests itself over the years. It’s especially worrying that younger people seem to be consuming more alcohol nowadays.

Pastries

Bakery products contain large amounts of trans fatty acids. These have inflammatory properties, which can cause problems in the functioning of all the organs of the human body. Furthermore, they have a negative impact on the intestinal microbiota, affecting the density and diversity of the bacteria that live in the gut.

You have to remember that the gut and the brain are closely related. Therefore, if problems are experienced at the microbiota level, more toxic compounds can reach the brain. This is due to the greater permeability of the intestinal membrane. These toxic compounds are harmful to your nervous system. This is evidenced by research published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease .

Sweets

Sweets tend to contain a large concentration of simple sugars. These compounds cause alterations in the inflammatory mechanisms of your body. They can even generate a certain dependence on an emotional level. In fact, they influence your mood and are considered harmful in the long run. At the very least, you should avoid their intake in large quantities.

It’s essential to reduce the consumption of sweets during the first years of life. In fact, this is a good time to lay down the foundations of a good diet, prioritizing the presence of fresh foods over industrial processed ones. One more point is that the abuse of simple sugars can cause alterations in metabolic function that affect the state of your body composition.

Foods with artificial sweeteners

Scientists developed artificial sweeteners as an alternative to simple sugars. This was because they had the ability to sweeten, but didn’t contain the calories of sugar. However, the reality is, that they’re not as good for you as they originally appeared to be.

As a matter of fact, most of these compounds affect the intestinal microbiota, reducing its density and diversity. In this way, an increase in the permeability of the digestive tract is generated. This can condition the functioning of your brain as well as your nervous system. For this reason, you should avoid their consumption.

Be careful with the foods that harm your brain

As you’ve seen, there are a number of foods that can harm your brain if they appear repeatedly in your diet. You should certainly avoid their consumption frequently and in large quantities. In fact, not only are they harmful to your central nervous system, but they can also cause problems with your metabolism and even your cardiovascular system.

Keep in mind that to be healthy you need to combine a balanced and varied diet with other healthy habits. For instance, you should practice physical exercise on a regular basis. Furthermore, resting for seven or eight hours per night will also make a difference to your health in the medium to long term. Without these kinds of healthy habits, your body finds it hard to recover from the daily damage it sustains.