Brain Damaging Foods, Unfortunately, many foods are toxic to the brain, which can speed up the aging process, triggering a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, sleep problems like sleep apnea, hypoxia, and many other issues.
In this article, we'll be talking about the top 10 brain-damaging foods to be aware of so that you can avoid them. To protect your brain at the end, I'll also share some simple lifestyle tips that you can use to help boost brain function. Just a quick reminder that this article is for educational purposes only, so do speak to a doctor if you have any medical conditions.
Mercury-rich
The first brain Damaging Foods to avoid is fish that are high in mercury. When we consume an excessive amount of mercury, it poisons the cerebellum and cerebral cortex, killing brain cells and causing long-term nerve damage. The fish containing the most mercury are bluefish, catfish, grouper mackerel, orange ruffy shark, swordfish, and big eye orca.
We recommend avoiding these and eating them very, very rarely, less than once per month to avoid their toxic effects. Consuming cilantro, chlorella, or walnuts regularly can help detox any extra mercury in your body because these foods contain natural ingredients that bind to mercury. Wild-caught codanchovies, salmon, sardines, oysters, and herring are healthy fish to eat that contain less mercury.
Green potatoes
Green potatoes are the second most dangerous food on my list. Those that have turned green contain high amounts of solanine. This is a natural pesticide that the plant makes to protect itself from insects. However, in humans, solanine has a neurotoxic effect. This can cause nausea, headaches, and serious neurological problems.
Eating only one whole green potato is enough to make an adult very sick. Larger amounts can cause hallucinations. paralysis, fever, and even death. Be aware that cooking green potatoes do not remove this harmful substance, so make sure that you throw them away.
Vegetable oil
It may be surprising to you. It's vegetable oil. Some of the most dangerous foods that we often consume daily are cooked in vegetable oils like corn, canola, soy, safflower, cottonseed, processed olive oil, and margarine. These oils are rich in omega-6 fatty acids and cause massive amounts of inflammation in your brain and also raise the risk of diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
Be very careful as they're used in fast foods. microwavable meals, frozen packaged foods, and it's even hidden in salad dressing. I recommend cooking your healthy meals at home using raw coconut oil. cold-pressed avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides. These can stimulate healing in your brain and improve the connections between your neurons.
Iron-fortified foods (grains)
in the United States and the United Kingdom. Foods that contain wheat and flour have been fortified with elemental iron. The problem is that this type of iron is toxic for the body and causes a rusting effect in the brain from oxidative damage. Too much of this raises the risk of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and poor brain development in children.
It's advisable to avoid grains as much as possible and instead eat iron-rich meats. wild fish, whole fruits, and vegetables to meet all of your nutritional requirements. Heme iron is found in animal products and it's naturally bound to protein, making it stable and healthy for your body as opposed to the elemental iron in these fortified foods and cheap over-the-counter supplements.
Suger (refined carbohydrates)
One of the most destructive foods for your brain is sugar. Of all the sugary foods that are high in carbohydrates, they are converted into sugar in the body. This has the same negative effect as eating pure sugar. For example, a slice of bread resembles eating three cubes of sugar. Cereal bars, biscuits, and cakes are all very high on the glycemic index. Both these cause a massive spike in blood sugar, which can trigger anxiety and depression.
Mood disorders destroy parts of the nervous system that keep your brain fueled and energized. Be sure to avoid these foods and eat healthy fats instead, like avocados. Grass-fed butter and almonds These foods will satisfy you and help to get rid of any sugar cravings you may have. I understand that there is lots of information in this video to take in, so feel free to pause.
Cherry pits
Cherries are loaded with antioxidants that are healthy for your body, but make sure that you remove the hard stone that is inside before you eat them. This pit inside the cherry contains pyruvic acid, which is also known as cyanide.
This is poisonous for your brain and can cause headaches because it prevents the cells in your body from using oxygen. Too much cyanide can also cause death. Don't worry, eating one or two seeds accidentally won't harm you. Do try not to chew them and also remember to remove them before eating.
Alcohol
Drinking alcoholic beverages daily damages dendrites. These are neuron endings in your brain and nervous system. This makes it very difficult for brain cells to send messages to each other, causing brain fog and memory loss. Alcohol also depletes vitamin B1, causing a deficiency over time, which can lead to anxiety and nerve pain.
Cut back on alcohol and save it for special occasions. You can also start eating nutritional yeast, which is high in vitamin B1, to help heal your brain from alcohol damage.
Glycated proteins
What are these? When you mix a fat or protein with sugar and then eat it, it causes these sticky proteins to build up in your body, which we call advanced glycation end products or ages. An example of this would be eating a burger covered in ketchup or donuts, which are made of butter, flour, and sugar, with sweetened sauces, cheese, and meat on top, and also ice cream, which is loaded with milk sugar, fat, and protein.
When you mix sugar with these foods, especially under a heat source, ticky proteins begin to form, and these stick to your nerves, damaging your brain and blocking the normal signals from flowing through them. Consuming anti-aging foods such as blueberries, leafy green vegetables, and salads can help to reduce inflammation in the brain tissue and clean out these harmful proteins.
Soda drinks
If you want to protect your body as you get older, you will want to cut out soda drinks as much as possible, including both diet and regular varieties. Soda drinks have added phosphoric acid. It's put in there to prevent the growth of mold or bacteria in them. However, the problem with this is that too much phosphorus blocks your body from absorbing calcium and magnesium. A deficiency in these minerals prevents the mitochondria from generating energy in your brain cells.
The neurons start to become deprived of energy, which causes a loss of density in the synapses of your brain. People who drink lots of soda will notice that they have inferior sleeping patterns and memory loss. Poor learning and brain fog Regular soda drinks are also loaded with fructose as a sweetener, which inflicts liver damage and insulin resistance, which causes the brain to starve for fuel.
Nutmeg
They may cause harm to your brain. nutmeg. It contains a toxin known as myristicin. As little as two teaspoons of nutmeg can cause toxic effects such as a fever, increased heart rate, and blood pressure, hallucinations, drowsiness, and loss of consciousness. As you can see, eating the wrong foods too often can have a damaging effect on your brain.
Although you may not notice these effects straight away, people start to experience the symptoms as they get older, such as developing dementia and having strokes, etc. You can start by cutting back on some of these foods and replacing them with healthy whole food alternatives. Improving brain health Now that you're aware of some of the worst foods for your brain.
Some lifestyle tips to improve your brain health
Let's explore a few lifestyle tips you can follow to improve the function of your brain. One should start consuming at least one liter of mineral water each day. This helps to hydrate your body, carrying oxygen and nutrients to your brain, helping to clear out toxins and waste, and improving concentration and memory.
Two, to help stimulate the growth of new brain cells, which is called neurogenesis, start intermittent fasting. This is where you eat all of your calories for the day in a four-hour window and you fast for the remaining 20 hours. This stimulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a molecule that helps to repair the DNA of your brain cells and improve electrical communication.
Number three is that aerobic exercise promotes blood flow to the brain, boosting oxygen levels. Four, consider taking one to two teaspoons of MCT oil after your first meal of the day. This provides ketones, a powerful fuel for your brain that bypasses damaged tissue and helps improve overall brain function. Lastly, get at least eight hours of sleep per night to improve your memory, spatial navigation, and decision-making abilities. Be sure to take a nap if you need to or use herbs like Rhodiola to improve sleep quality.
Following these five key steps and avoiding many of the junk foods mentioned in today's video will rapidly improve the health of your brain and help to protect it against age-related diseases.
Conclusion
As we get older, different parts of our brains start to shrink. This can cause memory loss, slower learning, and problems with how we communicate. Many foods are toxic to the brain, so here are some top brain-damaging foods to be aware of so that you can avoid them. Iron-fortified grains and refined carbohydrates are toxic to the body and cause a rusting effect in the brain from oxidative damage. Sugary foods are high in carbohydrates that are converted into sugar in the body, which destroys parts of the nervous system that keep your brain fueled and energized. Brain Damaging Foods very dangerous for everyone.
Drinking alcohol damages dendrites, which are the nerve endings in your brain. This makes it difficult for brain cells to send messages to each other, causing memory loss. Consuming anti-aging foods such as blueberries, leafy green vegetables and salads can help reduce inflammation in the brain.