It’s that time of year when it seems that yummy sweets and other unhealthy eats are all around us. There’s good reason to avoid them all. Dr. Uma Naidoo, a psychiatrist and Harvard Medical School faculty member, makes the case on CNBC.com that you can keep your mind sharp and reduce your risk of dementia if you avoid eating five foods.
Dr. Naidoo researches the ways bacteria in our guts can affect our memory. Some foods create bacteria that inflame our brain and hurt our memory.
- Foods with added sugars, including processed foods, can create too much sugar in our brains. This excess sugar, in turn, can compromise our memory. So avoid snack foods like Goldfish and Oreos and soft drinks like Coke and Mountain Dew. You should avoid eating more than 25 grams of added sugar a day.
- Fried foods, such as french fries, donuts, tempura and samosas. One study that looked at the effects of eating too much fried foods found that people who ate a lot of fried foods had poorer memories. Fried foods lead to inflammation and broken blood vessels that are needed to ensure an adequate supply of blood to the brain. Fried foods also increase your risk of developing depression.
- High glycemic-load carbohydrates, such as spaghetti and bread, don’t sit well in your gut. They behave like sugar. If you have the urge, eat high-fiber foods, ones with whole grains; they do not increase your risk of developing depression.
- Alcohol intake in moderation actually can be beneficial in reducing the likelihood of dementia, as compared to no alcohol intake whatsoever. But, more than two drinks a day (for men) or one drink a day (for women) put you at greater risk of dementia.
- Nitrates in deli meats also could be linked to depression. Eating deli meats made with buckwheat flour is preferable to those made with nitrates if you must eat deli meats.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- Eating food high in fiber delivers many benefits
- Foods with added sugar are not so sweet for your health
- Better health comes with beneficial microbes and coffee
- Processed foods and fast foods have bigger health risks than you might think
- Is alcohol naughty or nice?
