Have you ever heard the phrase: “we are what we eat”? Well, this saying may have a lot of truth. If in our article “The 5 foods that help improve intelligence” we talked about the benefits that some foods have on our cognitive functioning, in today’s article we will talk about the opposite: foods that negatively affect our brain.
Everything we eat influences the way our body tries to maintain a balance so that all vital functions, tissues and organs are in optimal health, so Don’t miss this list of 15 foods that are harmful to your brain functioning Let us begin!
1. Fructose
Fructose is the main sugar found naturally in honey and fruit (and in some vegetables, such as carrots), but other sources, not so healthy, are common or table sugar, sucrose, which contains half fructose and half glucose; and glucose-fructose syrups, which are made from corn and wheat and are used as sweeteners in various foods.
Fructose has a higher Glycemic Index (GI) than glucose, causing hyperglycemia. A study published in The Journal of Physiology found that fructose has a negative effect on our brain, since affects the functioning of brain cells and how they store the energy necessary to process both learning and thoughts.
2. Salty foods
Salty foods like bagged chips cause serious health risks (for example, high blood pressure). Its consumption is also not recommended for weight loss, because excess salt is responsible for fluid retention.
Recent studies also state that Salt affects our intelligence and impairs our ability to think This is what explains research published in the journal Neurobiologysince diets that contain a high sodium content are associated with heart problems and cause cognitive deterioration to be more rapid.
3. Artificial sweeteners
Many people replace table sugar with other sweeteners when drinking coffee, thinking that they are healthy products. The truth is Prolonged consumption can be just as negative as the product they are intended to replace since sweeteners can cause brain damage and problems with cognitive ability.
And although these people think that they are doing their body a favor because they consume fewer calories than sugar, in the long term the consequences are just as harmful to their body, since these substitutes contain preservatives, colorings and other ingredients that provide flavor or texture, and, at the same time, harmful consequences for our health.
4. Monosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is an additive widely used by the food industry, especially in Asian cuisine, and is considered a flavor enhancer, as it highlights the nuance of other flavors. However, Its components negatively affect our brain through overexcitation of neurons to the point of brain damage.
Even though the Food and Drug Administration Although the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified it as a safe food in 1958, some laboratory studies with animals have shown that consumption of this substance causes damage to nerve cells in the brain. Additionally, excessive consumption of MSG can cause headaches, fatigue, or disorientation.
5. Fried foods
Fried foods may taste great, but for the sake of our brain health, their consumption should not be part of our daily diet. These, in addition to being products with a high fat content, also cause cholesterol to affect the arteries In the long term, fried foods destroy our neurons and impair our ability to learn and memorize.
6. Added sugar
Excess sugar is associated with serious health problems, for example, suppresses the immune system, weakens eyesight or contributes to obesity. Not only that, but prolonged consumption affects our brain: it causes neurological problems and learning and memory difficulties. This is what a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) concludes.
Additionally, the researchers concluded that participants in their experiment who consumed between 17-21% of calories from sugar had a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
7. Soft drinks
Soft drinks have a very high sugar content. For example, Coca-Cola contains approximately 39 grams of sugar per 330 milliliter can, which is equivalent to almost 10 sugar cubes. Although sporadic consumption of these drinks does not cause any harm to our health, prolonged and excessive consumption can be lethal
In addition to the negative effects on our brain that sugar causes and that have been discussed in the previous point, soft drinks are prepared compounds that contain Aspartic acid and Femylamine, substances that cause damage to brain cells, brain tumors and increase the acidity of blood. urine creating susceptibility to urinary tract infections. On the other hand, different studies have shown that light soft drinks, with high content of sugar substitutes, increase the chances of suffering brain damage, memory loss and mental confusion over the years.
8. Junk food
The different media warn us of the danger of incorporating these foods into our diet, but the truth is that there is more and more access to this type of products. Research has shown that Prolonged consumption affects our brain and causes chemical changes in it with symptoms similar to withdrawal, and causing anxiety and depression.
Junk food becomes a drug, and the abuse of these foods has an effect on the area of reinforcement and, therefore, on dopamine production. This neurotransmitter actively participates in learning capacity, motivation or memory.
9. Saturated fats
The consumption of foods high in saturated fat has increased in recent decades, causing cases of obesity and problems associated with this condition to increase. However, research carried out by Nuria del Olmo and Mariano Ruiz-Gayo at the CEU San Pablo University and presented at the Annual Congress of the Endocrine Society (San Francisco), has concluded that Diets rich in saturated fats are not only a problem for physical health, they cause eating disorders metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and a risk for cognitive development, especially related to memory.
10. Hydrogenated oils
If saturated fats are harmful, the trans fats found in hydrogenated oils are even worse. Experts warn that Diets high in trans fats increase beta-amyloid in the brain, which is associated with Alzheimer’s disease
Furthermore, the magazine Neurology published research showing that a high intake of trans fats is associated with brain shrinkage and an increased risk of stroke.
11. Processed and precooked foods
Processed foods meet most of the negative characteristics that we have discussed in the previous points. They contain high contents of sugar, fructose, sodium, hydrogenated oils, and therefore these foods can harm brain health. In fact, Processed or pre-cooked food affects the central nervous system and increases the risk of developing a neurodegenerative disorder like Alzheimer’s disease.
Alcohol is known as a food that does not provide nutrients but does provide extra calories to our diet. Along with tobacco, it is, without a doubt, one of the most consumed substances and at the same time harmful to our body. The damage of excessive alcohol consumption is well known, but recently a group of researchers from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and the University of Nottingham (United Kingdom) have identified the damage caused at the brain level.
Alcohol causes alterations in the prefrontal area of the brain a region that controls executive functions such as planning and designing strategies, working memory, selective attention or behavioral control, in addition to other areas related to different alterations in behavior or motor functioning.
13. Caffeine
Having a coffee in the morning in the office is not bad at all, because it can help us be a little more alert and carry out tasks with greater concentration. However, If this substance is abused it has a negative side
The Food and Drug Administration of the United States states that 600 milligrams of caffeine a day can cause headaches, increase anxiety and cause various sleep disorders. Excess caffeine can cause different consequences such as confusion, and more long-term cardiovascular problems and even stroke.
14. Tuna
It is true that tuna is a great food because it provides a large amount of protein, in addition to fatty acids such as Omega-3, and that is why American Heart Society It is recommended to consume it twice a week at least. Neverthelessbig-eye tuna or albacore tuna are rich in mercury so excessive consumption can cause an acceleration in cognitive deterioration.
15. Cured products
Cured products such as serrano ham, bacon or sausage loin, despite their great flavor, are rich in fat and salt. When consuming salty products, The body retains more fluid and needs more water According to a study by Military Medicinethis can cause dehydration and therefore a decrease in cognitive function.
