What exactly is chronic inflammation, and why is it so harmful to your brain?
Inflammation serves as a protective mechanism. Our immune system sends armies of white blood cells to combat injury or sickness and restore damaged tissue when we are harmed or sick. We experience pain, swelling, redness, and heat as more blood flows to the point of injury. This is why a sprained ankle swells up. Healing is impossible without inflammation.
Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, may occur even when there is no damage or sickness. Your body, unable to distinguish between the two, sends white blood cells to attack healthy tissue.
Chronic inflammation is linked to a variety of major diseases, including diabetes and heart disease. It also has an impact on your brain, raising your risk of acquiring neurological problems such as depression, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease.
Why do so many people in the United States suffer from chronic inflammation?
Inflammation is largely influenced by diet. The Standard American Diet is loaded with inflammatory foods including highly processed, fried, and refined flours and sugars.
What's the good news? Chronic inflammation and many of the illnesses that come with it may be avoided by eating an anti-inflammatory plant-based diet.
The five meals that are the worst for your brain's health (and what to eat instead)
Do you want to know which meals are the worst for memory and which foods to eat for a healthy brain? We've thought of everything:
1. Pasta and refined bread
Bread and pasta that have been refined are among the worst foods for brain health. They've been depleted of minerals, and there's no fiber to aid digestion. These refined carbs, on the other hand, hurry through your system, spiking your blood sugar. In adults and children, a diet high in refined carbohydrates has been related to memory loss.
Instead, eat entire carbs
Carbs aren't all terrible! Whole grains are very beneficial to your health and are one of the "greatest meals for your brain." Fiber is still present in whole-grain breads and whole grain or brown rice pastas. This means they'll be digested more slowly, your blood sugar will be better controlled, and you'll have a consistent supply of energy to concentrate.
2. Red Meat
"Meat intake seems to be the most major dietary relation to Alzheimer's Disease," according to studies, "with eggs and high-fat dairy also contributing." The blood vessels in our brain get blocked in the same way that saturated fat clogs our cardiovascular system.
Instead, try this: beans
Make beans the focal point of your dish instead of items that induce memory loss, such as steak. A fantastic source of protein (saturated fat-free!) and magnesium, as well as B vitamins and other brain-boosting nutrients.
3. Oils from plants
Another one to put under "foods that promote memory loss," if you want to consume the healthiest meals for your brain, it's time to give up vegetable oils. Vegetable oils, especially canola oil, are high in omega-6s, an inflammatory fatty aid, and have been related to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. Depression and other cognitive difficulties have been related to chronic brain inflammation. When our brains get inflamed, energy production decreases, neuron firing slows, and we become cognitively weary.
This is what you should eat instead: walnuts
Walnuts are high in beneficial fatty acids and are an excellent source of Omega-3s. Omega-3 deficiency might affect our capacity to learn and remember things. Dementia sufferers, in fact, have low omega-3 levels, according to research.
4. Cheese
What foods have been connected to Alzheimer's disease? This one, unfortunately, is at the top of the list for cheese enthusiasts. The most saturated fat-rich foods in the American diet are pizza and cheese. As with meat, saturated fat clogs our brain arteries in the same way as it clogs our heart vessels. Greater levels of saturated fat have been related to brain inflammation, a higher risk of stroke, and memory loss.
Avocados are a great alternative.
Avocados are a creamy, plant-based alternative to cheese if you don't have heart problems. Avocados are high in potassium, which may help to lower blood pressure and lower the risk of stroke. They're also high in folate, a nutrient that has been linked to cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease.
5. Refined sugar
Americans consume much too much additional sugar (almost 66 pounds per year), the majority of which is processed. What exactly is the issue here? Sugar, on the other hand, is one of the worst nutrients for brain health. Sugar, like refined carbohydrates, produces inflammation in the brain and raises blood sugar, leaving your body and brain without the energy they need. Our brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels are likewise reduced when we consume too much sugar. BDNF is required for memory formation and learning.
Sugar is also addictive! According to brain scans, adding sugar alters our brain chemistry in a manner that is very comparable to what happens when we consume cocaine or alcohol.
Instead, eat this: entire fruit
For a sweet fix, turn to healthy foods like fruit, especially blueberries! Because of the potent antioxidants called anthocyanins, eating these tasty tiny berries may help prevent short-term memory loss.
A fruit smoothie is a great way to get your fruit.
