Do you know which is the most vital organ in the body? It's none other than your brain! And, there's no doubt in it! Although it is hard to live without the other organs. But our brain controls and regulates all our organs. That's why it's essential to keep your brain working in the best condition with a healthy diet.

Some foods have adverse effects on your brain and impact your mood and memory. The result will be fatal! How? It'll increase the risk of dementia. It's estimated that more than 65 million people around the world will be affected by dementia by 2030.

Can the risk be reduced? Yes, of course! By cutting the intake of a particular food in the diet, you can reduce the risk. Feeling lucky enough, right?

Here are some of the worst foods for your brain.

Fish High in Mercury

Fish is a healthy addition to your diet. Because it contains Vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, and zinc. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and are lower in lower saturated fat. But, there's fish that are high in mercury.

It's a heavy metal contaminant and causes neurological poison. Mercury remains stored in animal tissues, including humans, for a long time.

Long-lived and predatory fish have a high concentration of mercury in their flesh. This is because the longer they live; they will be consuming fish that are low in mercury. These fish accumulate high mercury levels.

They contain as high as 1 million times the concentration of mercury in the water they stay. It's best if the consumption of these fish is avoided. Tuna, tilefish, swordfish, orange roughy, king mackerel, and shark are some examples. High consumption of these fish will disrupt the neurotransmitters of your brain.

Trans Fats

Not all fats are bad for you. But, a particular fat, trans fat, or hydrogenated oil has a detrimental effect on your brain. Animal products, such as meat and dairy, are rich in trans fat. But, these cause fewer problems and harm.

The industry made products such as packaged foods are more harmful to us. These cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Studies show that consumption of high amounts of trans fats causes psychological disorders. These include earlier cognitive decline, poor memory, and lower brain volume.

Refined Carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates are products produced from processed grains. Their tastes need not be sweet, but when eaten, they break down into sugar. Why? Because the refining process strips off all the fiber and nutrition present in the original grain.

A meal rich in refined carbohydrates represents a high glycemic load. This load results in a sudden increase in the level of blood sugar.

This causes health issues such as memory impairment, inflammation, and have a higher risk of development of dementia. Studies proved that children consuming diets high in refined carbs score low in nonverbal intelligence tests.

Adults consuming more than 58% of their daily calories in refined carbs are prone to twice the risk of mental impairment and dementia compared to people consuming more whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

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Sugary Drinks

Sugary drinks such as soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, and even fruit juices have no nutritional value. If you are consuming these drinks, you will become the host of physical impairments. Some examples include type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and even from Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

A person consuming a high amount of sugary drinks affects the functioning of the brain, including a reduction in learning ability, memory, and a decline in the formation of neurons in the brain. It also increases inflammation in the brain, affecting all types of brain functions.

Alcohol

There's no surprise that alcohol damages the brain, considering the limit of stupid stuff people tend to do under the influence. Getting tipsy every awhile might not cause permanent damage to the brain. But, if you are engaged in alcoholism and bouts of binge drinking will lead to brain damage.

Chronic consumption of alcohol results in the shrinking of the brain. Thereby disrupting the neurotransmitters that your brain uses for communication. Deficiency in Vitamin B 1 is common among alcoholics, which further leads to the development of Korsakaoff's syndrome.

Packaged and Processed Foods

Packaged and processed foods remove the vital nutrients from the whole food replacing it with sugar, salt, and unnecessary fat. This is the so-called Western diet, the one that relies on fast foods and convenience over our traditional slow-cooked homemade meals.

People nowadays are so busy and sometimes it isn't possible to make our own sauces, pasta, dressings, and baked goods.

However, it's essential to cook whole, nutritious foods, because the western diet is notorious for causing the accumulation of fat around the vital organs. This is associated with damaging the brain tissue and reduction in the brain's volume. It also causes disruptions to the brain-blood barrier.

Aspartame

It's impossible to avoid the harms of consumption of too much sugar by replacing it with artificial sweeteners like aspartame. The producers of sugar substitute claim them to be safe.

Yet, several studies have linked aspartame to several behavioral and cognitive problems. It's a chemical stressor and causes deleterious effects on the ability to regulate emotions and learning.

In a study, the participants consumed a high-aspartame diet for 8 days. All of them felt irritated, scored lower on mental tests, and depressed to boot. People who drink diet soft drinks have an increased risk of dementia or stroke.

Because aspartame replaces sugar in these drinks. FDA has now mentioned aspartame to be safe, but also have mandated warning labels on products containing it.

There's no doubt that your diet plays a massive role in maintaining your brain health over your lifetime. Avoiding or reducing the consumption of these 7 foods will improve cognitive abilities. Besides, in the future will decrease the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

The more healthy food you eat, the better protection of your brain. A happy brain will remind you how much you are doing for your body. In the end, it's worthy enough to look back on your life and cherish the best memories.

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