Junk Food: How it can damage your brain and affect your intelligence

The brain is one of the most important organs in the human body, controlling our memory, learning, actions and emotions. If you want to keep your brain healthy and active. But now some doctors remind us that in fact, we need to pay special attention to the choice of daily diet, because some junk food can cause damage to the brain and affect our intelligence and psychological state.

Huang Xuan, a thoracic and intensive care specialist, posted on his Facebook page a few days ago. In the content, he first explained that the so-called junk food refers to trans fats, sugary drinks, refined carbohydrates, highly processed and packaged foods, and alcohol. He even explained the composition of these substances and their harm to the human body in sequence, and even bluntly said that “eating junk food turns your head into garbage.”

Trans fat

Trans fats are man-made unsaturated fats that are commonly found in processed foods such as margarine, baked goods, chips, cookies, frozen and canned foods. Trans fats increase the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. They also affect neurodevelopment and vascular health, leading to brain shrinkage, memory loss, cognitive decline, and dementia.

sugary drinks

Sugar-sweetened beverages are liquid drinks such as soda, fruit juice, sports drinks, and energy drinks that have added sugar or other sweeteners. Sugary drinks will not only increase body weight and blood sugar, but also affect hormone secretion and nutrient absorption, causing damage to nerve cells and blockage of blood vessels. Long-term consumption of sugary drinks can reduce learning, memory, overall brain function and the rate at which new neurons are generated, and can also increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease or stroke.

refined carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates are products made from processed grains such as white rice, white bread, white flour, pies, etc. Refined carbohydrates are quickly converted to sugar during digestion, causing dramatic spikes and dips in blood sugar, triggering mood swings and difficulty concentrating. In addition, refined carbohydrates also deprive raw grains of fiber and other brain-healthy nutrients, increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, breast and colorectal cancer, as well as cognitive decline and dementia.

Highly Processed and Packaged Foods

Highly processed and packaged foods refer to products that have important nutrients removed from natural foods and replaced with sugar, fat and salt, such as instant noodles, frozen meals, canned soups, snacks, etc. These foods lack brain-friendly antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, etc., and contain too many harmful substances such as calories, trans fats, and additives. This Westernized diet will lead to excessive accumulation of fat in the body, affect brain tissue and blood circulation, reduce brain volume, and may even destroy the blood-brain barrier, allowing harmful substances to invade the brain.

Alcohol

Alcohol is a neurotoxin that directly kills brain cells and affects the balance of neurotransmitters. Occasional small amounts of alcohol may be harmless, but chronic or excessive drinking can cause permanent brain damage, leading to memory loss, confusion, instability and even blindness. In addition, some *long-term* people who have drinking habits, even coupled with malnutrition (such as lack of vitamin B, etc.), will cause more serious damage to brain cells.