5 Foods That Are Secretly Damaging Your Brain

Although junk food might taste good and satisfy momentary cravings, the benefits stop there—if those are even considered benefits at all. Junk food is full of empty calories that do nothing positive for our bodies. Instead it makes us feel rundown, sluggish, and bloated. It can also cause skin problems and could even lead to more serious illnesses that stem from obesity, like diabetes. Besides these unpleasant side effects and the threat of a life-long illness from preservative-filled, artificial substances we call food, junk food can be rather detrimental to our brain function. If you get foggy-headed after binging on your favorite guilty pleasure, you might want to look at our list of the worst foods to eat for your brain. 1. Foods that quickly turn to sugar in our bodies A balanced diet is always the best option, so when you consume too much of the same kind of food, it will have a negative effect on your body. Generally, we eat too much sugar, plus we tend to eat too many simple carbohydrates that convert into sugar very quickly once they are consumed. In limited quantities, every once in a while, these foods can provide us with some quick energy; however, when we constantly eat enriched white bread and rice along with sugary drinks and sodas studies show that it could easily lead to depression. Not only do they make us gain weight, but they also make us more susceptible to mood swings and negative thoughts. 2. Fast food The problem with fast food is that it has all of the wrong combinations. Many times it’s made up of simple carbs, soft drinks, and saturated fats. Because of this combination, researchers have linked people who tend to eat more fast food with a higher likelihood to be diagnosed with depression. Those who tend to eat less fast food and those who don’t eat it at all, are more likely to have a healthier overall mental health. 3. Foods with partially hydrogenated oil The governmental agency responsible for verifying the quality and safety of our food recently declared that Partially Hydrogenated Oils aren’t safe for consumption. The FDA has declared that these oils will have to be removed from food in the near future. While that’s good news, the bad new is that these oils are still on the market, and they may still be in some of the foods you eat. Margarine, frozen pizzas, and coffee creamers are just a few popular examples. 4. Foods containing saturated fats Another food that’s just as harmful to our brains as excessive sugar or partially hydrogenated oils is food with saturated fats. In laboratory experiments with rats, it’s been found that saturated fats had a significant negative effect on the cognitive function of rats. These studies showed that the saturated fats damaged the part of the brain responsible for telling the rats that they were full. They didn’t know when they had had enough to eat. The same thing is happening in humans who consume saturated fats. 5. Mercury-laced foods Certain kinds of fish can contain high levels of mercury which is extremely dangerous to our brains. Tuna, salmon, marlin, and king mackerel have been pointed out to have too much mercury in them. The side effects included in consuming mercury include stunted brain growth, neurological issues, and the loss of important senses. Mercury poisoning can also affect muscle function, coordination, and produce numbness in the extremities.