1. Alcohol, beer
Alcoholic beverages have long been warned about their harmful effects on the brain. There are many foolish things that humans can do when influenced by beer, alcohol.
Regular alcohol consumption tends to shrink the brain and disrupt the nerve transmission chemicals your brain uses to communicate. Beer and alcohol addicts also often lack vitamin B1, which can lead to the development of Korsakoff syndrome. This syndrome causes serious brain damage, leading to memory loss, confusion, instability, and intermittent loss of vision.
2. Sugary drinks
Sugar-containing drinks include soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, and even some low or no-nutrition fruit juices.
Regular consumption of sugary drinks can lead to diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Alzheimer's disease, or memory loss. It has been proven that consuming large amounts of fructose sugar can reduce learning abilities, memory, overall brain function, and the formation of new nerve cells in the brain. It can also lead to increased symptoms of brain inflammation, negatively affecting brain functions.
3. Trans fats
Not all fats have negative impacts on health. However, trans fats are believed to adversely affect the human brain.
Trans fats are found in animal products including meat and dairy. But the type of fat that truly causes major health issues affecting human health is industrially produced trans fat found in packaged foods. Those who consume a lot of trans fats in the form of vegetable butter, ready-made baked goods, French fries, crispy cookies, canned goods, frozen foods, and creamy drinks are at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and memory loss. Studies have shown that consuming a lot of trans fats also leads to early cognitive decline, lower brain volume, and poorer memory.
4. Refined carbohydrates
Refined carbohydrates are products made from processed grains. They may not necessarily have a sweet taste, but they break down into sugar very quickly in the body. This is because the refining process removes all the fiber and nutrients from the original grain. A meal rich in refined carbs represents a high blood sugar load, which increases the sugar levels in your blood. It causes all issues like memory decline, brain inflammation, and a higher risk of memory loss.
Studies have shown that children with high consumption of refined carbohydrates have lower scores in intelligence tests. And older people who consume more than 58% of their daily calorie intake from refined carbs are at double the risk of cognitive decline and memory loss compared to those who eat more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
5. Packaged and processed foods
These types of foods have stripped away essential nutrients from food and replaced them with sugar, fat, and salt. This is the Western diet, a convenience-based and fast-food diet. This diet clearly contributes to the accumulation of fat around vital organs of the body. It is associated with brain tissue damage and reduced brain volume. At the same time, it can also disrupt the system responsible for protecting the brain.
6. Artificial sweeteners
We cannot avoid the harm of eating too much sugar by replacing it with artificial sweeteners - especially not with aspartame.
While manufacturers claim the safety of this sugar substitute, some studies have linked aspartame to behavioral and cognitive issues. It is a chemical stressor and can have adverse effects on learning ability and emotional regulation.
In one study, with 8 days of a high aspartame diet, participants scored lower on mental tests and felt more uncomfortable and depressed. Another study revealed that people who consume a lot of diet sodas, replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners, are at risk of memory loss or stroke.
7. Fish with high mercury levels
Fish, in general, is a type of food that should be supplemented in a healthy diet. This food contains low saturated fats but contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamin B12, zinc, iron, and magnesium.
However, some fish species contain a lot of mercury, which is a heavy metal pollutant and a neurotoxin. Mercury is stored in animal tissues (including humans) for a long time.
Long-lived and predatory fish tend to have the highest mercury levels in their meat. This is because these fish eat other fish with lower mercury levels. Throughout their lives, these fish can accumulate mercury levels 1 million times higher than the concentration in the water they swim in. Therefore, to prevent disruptions to nerve transmission chemicals in the brain, it is best to avoid or limit consumption of tuna, swordfish, king mackerel, sharks...