Foods for Better Brain Health – The brain is the most incredible creation ever; it can do many amazing things. It is the home of the central nervous system, which instructs every organ of our body for smooth working, manages the heart beating, regulates the temperature, and instructs all body parts to work structurally. Yet, we do not give enough credit to our brains and do nothing to take care of it.
Today, we will discuss some foods to avoid for better brain health. What we eat directly impacts our brain, and you should “avoid these six foods for better brain health.” We will also explain how to replace these foods.
The Brain
Read Also: 5 Home Remedies for Dengue Fever: Natural Ways to Ease Symptoms
Do you know that the brain of an average adult weighs roughly 3 pounds but is still responsible for 20-25% of metabolic energy expenditure? You have heard it right; even though the brain weighs only a fraction of our body, it is still responsible for burning 20-25% of our daily calories. Our brain consists of three major parts: the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brain stem.
The cerebrum is the most significant part of our brain and involves problem-solving, thinking, memory, feeling, and controlling movements. The cerebellum sits at the back of our head under the cerebrum and is responsible for coordination and balance. The brain stem connects our brain with the spinal cord and automates digestion, breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure functions.
Caring for Our Brain
The brain and central nervous systems are like the hard drives of the body, and if they do not work well, our body will not have proper coordination and suffer. That’s why we should take extra care of our brain and work towards improving its health. This article will tell you to “avoid foods for better brain health,” which will work perfectly to improve your brain health.
Like every part of our body, our brain is influenced by various activities such as nutritional needs, exercise and movement, relationships, stress levels, and mindset. All these things significantly affect our brain, so we must reduce the effects of what harms it and increase what improves its health.
Avoid these foods for better brain health.
Sugar and grain flour
You must avoid these foods for better brain health. The number one cause of memory loss and cognitive decline is abnormal blood sugar control, also known as insulin resistance. Sugar consumption is the defining factor behind insulin control in our bodies. So, for better brain health, you should restrict or limit the consumption of sugar and grain flour, which converts to sugar inside our body.
Trans fat
Trans fats are like embalming fluid because they kill us from the inside out. They are responsible for worsening cholesterol profiles, decreasing brain function, increasing blood sugar levels, creating sticky, stiff cells, and increasing cancer risk. The number one source of these fats is processed and deep-fried food from restaurants.
It is usually labeled as partially hydrogenated fats in foods. If you see this name when buying any food item, you should return that food and find other nourishing and healthy foods for better brain health.
Foods preserved with nitrates
Foods preserved with nitrates also harm our brains, so avoid eating them. Nitrates are often found in processed meats such as hot dogs, pepperoni, sausage, ham, and other lunch meats. Like trans fat, nitrates have also been linked to increased insulin resistance, fatty liver, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.
You should avoid eating these foods for better brain health. But if you crave them, you should choose pasture- and organically raised farm-processed nitrosamine-free foods.
Gluten
Most of us have heard the word gluten for years, but many of us are still fighting with it, and as per an estimation, a good majority of the population is still susceptible to gluten. Gluten has been linked to increased inflammatory markers in our body, which are responsible for damaging our main organs, especially the brain. So you should also avoid these gluten foods for better brain health.
Artificial sweeteners
There are many controversies when we talk about artificial sweeteners, as these can affect our body in various ways, from harming the good gut bacteria to inducing an insulin response to making you crave sweet foods more. So, you should avoid artificial sweeteners for better brain health. So you should avoid eating foods that contain sweeteners like aspartame, Splenda, and even stevia.
High pesticide foods
Here, we are talking about the list of 12 produce items with the highest herbicide and pesticide content. Research has found that eating too many high-pesticide foods is linked with high inflammation, cancer, backed-up detox pathways, and brain damage.
Best foods for better brain health?
Here is a list of foods for better brain health, which you can replace with the abovementioned foods.
- Almond flour
- All vegetables
- Olive Oil
- Fruits
- Grass-Fed Meats
- Green tea
- Avocado Oil
- Cocoa
- Coconut flour
- Omega-3 rich Seafood
- Nuts & Seeds
- Coconut Oil
- Olives
So these are the best foods for better brain health, which you should add to your daily eating routine to improve the health of your brain. Because the brain is the most essential part of our body, no single organ will work smoothly without it. And if you have a healthy brain, you can think more clearly and make more robust decisions. If our information has helped you, or you want us to cover any topic, please let us know in the comments section below.
To get more of our exclusive content on Health Care and Lifestyle. Follow us on YouTube and Instagram.