A rather interesting article was published recently linking junk food as well as processed foods to brain damage in adults and children. We already know that eating foods high in fat and sugar are unhealthy and can cause obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
That "You are what you eat" mantra has been drilled into us since we were kids.
However now it turns out that being a junk-food junkie may also damage your brain in some alarming ways.
A study conducted at Wake Forest School of Medicine found that people who chowed down on meals high in sugar and saturated fat for a little as one month performed poorly on memory tests.
If you have ever "inhaled" a donut on an empty stomach, then you know the "mind messup" that follows the ensuing 'sugar crash' : fatigue, irritability, poor concentration, forgetfulness. A similar Brain Fog can happen after eating saturated fats. Within 10 minutes, saturated fats directly impairs the hippocampus - the learning and memory centre of the brain. For the next half hour you will be less able to recall facts or do well on cognitive challenges, like crossword puzzles.
The average person eats 79 lbs of added sweeteners every year. That's more than 1/5th of an 1800 calories a day diet along with 63 lbs of fat (that equals a full stick of butter EVERY day!)
How does it happen? What is the science behind it ? Researchers have found that one of the most toxic effects of consuming foods high in sugar and fat may be suppression of a brain peptide called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which is involved in memory formation and learning. A toxic diet also initiates a dangerous cascade of chemical reactions that can promote inflammation in the brain, which can damage cells and disrupt connections between neurons.
The most compelling discovery - not to mention the scariest, it that a diet high in simple sugars, saturated fats, breads, high carbs and red bull may cause PERMANENT damage by messing with the insulin in your brain. Most of know what insulin is and why we need it. Produced in the pancreas, insulin helps cells take in glucose from the bloodstream so that your body can use it for fuel. If you repeatedly consume fatty, sugary foods, the pancreas spikes its insulin production over and over to try to metabolize the foods until it eventually gets "stuck" at a high level, at which point your cells become insulin-resistant; a hallmark of Type-2 Diabetes.
Insulin is also produced in the brain and plays a role in transmitting signals between nerve cells, forming memories and conquering tasks that rely on learning and memory. And JUST as in Type-2 Diabetes, a diet high in saturated fats and sugars can can brain cells to become insulin resistant hindering our ability to think and recall and eventually causing permanent neural damage.
But here is where it gets scary. It affects children as well.
It has also been shown that children fed a high fat, sugar laden high carb diet have been shown to not only be at a danger to develop Type-1 and Type-2 Diabetes but ALSO have impaired learning abilities. All junk food and processed foods are high in chemicals and preservatives.
Think about when you were younger and what you ate? Chances are that it was made with healthy ingredients and not as much processed food. Times have changed and families are now double income workers so "fast is best" - which also means that taking time to source the healthiest ingredients is not always easy to do. Children suffer because of this.
Think about when you were young - I'll bet you did not know too many kids with food allergies ?
Know why ?? Because research has now shown that nitrates and chemicals found in many food items today can cause negative effects on our immune systems as well as our brains !
- Lunchables - TRASH
- Twinkies - TRASH
- Red Bull - TRASH
- Deli Meats - TRASH
The list goes on. And DON'T tell me "eating healthy is too expensive" - I can prove to you it's NOT.
An example of a widely used preservative - BHA
A preservative used in food, animal feed and cosmetics that the National Toxicology Program of the Department of Health and Human Services considers to be a likely human carcinogen.“It has caused cancer in animals"
Caramel Colouring - found in Sodas, Ice Creams and French Fries
This is a dye made from harmful chemicals that is used in many foods. The process also includes ammonia ! And has been shown to cause lung cancer.
Aspartame is another one that most of us are familiar with and is found in many soft drinks - but because it contains the known carcinogen methylene chloride. EVEN diet soda contains it. (and don't even get me started on people who think drinking diet sodas is healthy)
!!!
The list goes on but I think you are getting the point. The choices you make every day in what you and your family eat affect you later in life.
How can you NOT want to make sure your children have a shot at a healthy life ahead of them ?
The good news is some of this damage may be reversible with a healthy diet and exercise.
The Ontario Brain Institute reported that being very physically active reduced the risk for Alzheimer's by almost 40%. This happens because you reduce your insulin resistance It gives you a better glucose supply to the brain and It also boosts your metabolism.
Specific diets like the Mediterranean diet and plant based diets have all been shown to point towards better brain / body health.
It's time to take control, READ YOUR LABELS when shopping and think about both you and your family's health - now just today but in the future!
You only get one life and no "re-do's" so be smart and eat smart !
"Peace, Love and Fitness"
