The human brain is pretty complex. Sometimes it plays tricks on you, while other times it works in your favour.

Are you taking care of your brain? Are you giving it the right foods?

In this article, we’re going to talk about the worst foods for your brain, as revealed by doctors.

Why should you avoid tuna fish? What makes pasta and cheese your brain’s enemy? How about muffins?

We’re talking all this AND more…

Tuna fish

Our first pick is loaded with omega 3 fatty acids and other nutrients.

A healthy heart and a thriving mind.

Aren’t these the best gifts you could get from fatty fish?

Turns out these oily fish have a VERY HIGH CHANCE of being contaminated with heavy metals. Especially mercury.

This is because you get them from the ocean.

Mercury negatively impacts your cognitive abilities and interferes with the healthy functioning of your brain.

So unless you absolutely know you’re getting mercury-free tuna, swordfish, tilefish, or king mackerel, try to avoid them.

Fish found in the ocean absorb mercury through their gills and keep accumulating it.

If you eat them, you’ll become exposed to that mercury also.

Fried foods

I know, avoiding McDonald’s fries is hard to do.

Some delicious fried food can turn any bad day into an awesome one.

But unfortunately, your brain disagrees with your tongue.

As much as your taste buds enjoy fried foods, your brain gets foggy.

Yes, it’s true.

Fried foods cause inflammation in your brain resulting in brain fog and memory loss.

Fried foods increase your weight, especially increasing fat around your internal organs.

Experts have found this type of fat can lead to brain tissue damage.

Soda

Do you love drinking Coca-Cola?

Well you need to watch your intake if you love your brain.

Sodas are bad for your body and mind.

In fact, it’s not just sodas.

It’s all sugary drinks with zero nutrition.

This means your sports and energy drinks are also unhealthy for your brain.

And the culprit is sugar.

These sugary drinks will not only expand your waistline, but also hurt your brain.

Sugary drinks increase your odds of getting Alzheimer’s disease by increasing the chances of type 2 diabetes.

Even people without diabetes are at high risk of dementia if they consume a lot of sugar.

Alcohol

Who doesn’t love a glass of wine to unwind at the end of the day?

It’s soothing and can offer you a couple of health benefits.

Especially if you choose red wine that is rich in antioxidants.

But whatever type of alcohol you drink, there are two things you need to know.

First- Chronic alcohol is dangerous for your health.

Second- Alcohol addiction is a serious problem.

People who drink too much will have a lot of problems.

For one, you’ll experience metabolic changes, reduction in your brain volume, and disruption of chemicals your brain uses to communicate.

This is another brain disorder that’s triggered by alcohol as it causes deficiency of vitamin B1.

It will lead to unsteadiness, memory loss, confusion and disturbances in the eyesight.

Steaks

I’m not trying to ruin your day here.

Red meat is good for your health.

But not if you eat them every day.

The best way to get health benefits from red meat is by eating them once in a while.

Other times, you should eat more plant-based meals.

There have been various studies warning about the negative effects of red meat on your health, especially your heart and brain.

Diets high in red and processed meats have been linked to faster cognitive decline over a period of 10 years.

They cause inflammation in your brain.

Experts also warn that it’s loaded with iron.

Your body thrives on iron in low amounts.

But eating too much red meat can lead to iron toxicity, which causes oxidative damage.

This results in cell deterioration of your brain, leading to brain damage.

ALSO READ: 12+ Best Protein Sources in India Ranked from Worst to Best

Most snack foods

What do most snacks, pre-packaged cookies, and cakes have in common aside from taste?

They all are loaded with artificial trans-fat.

This is your brain’s enemy!

Trans fat is a type of unsaturated fat your body doesn’t need.

And artificial trans-fat is the worst type of fat to have.

If you want to stay healthy, this needs to be avoided.

But why are we hating artificial trans-fat THIS much?

Is there natural trans-fat?

Let me start answering these one by one.

The first being the ability of artificial trans-fat to cause your cognitive decline, lead you to memory loss, and lower your brain volume.

Trans fat also increases your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Animal products like dairy and meat contain natural trans-fat.

You don’t need to worry about this one.

It’s the industrially produced artificial trans-fat that acts as the root cause of your health problems.

You will find this harmful trans-fat in most pre-packaged foods like snacks and cookies.

Store-bought muffins and cakes I get it.

These foods are delicious to eat.

But they’re really bad for your brain.

They’re especially loaded with two things your brain hates.

These are sugars and Trans fat.

Both are known to increase your risk of Alzheimer’s.

Packaged baked goods can increase cell degeneration in your brain.

So does this mean you need to give up on eating cakes and muffins? Absolutely not!

I mean you can eat them, but not on a regular basis.

Switch to healthy fats by using olive oil instead of butter.

Opt for avocado sandwiches instead of mayo.

If you can, skip the store-bought stuff.

Bake your own cup-cakes! Fresh and delicious.

Potato chips

To be honest, you shouldn’t be eating chips at all.

They are fried and rich in trans-fat.

But there’s another reason you need to avoid them.

And it’s the high level of sodium!

Eating salt beyond the recommended amount can have a terrible effect on your health.

Too much sodium increases your risk of Dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Not to mention high blood pressure, increasing your risk of stroke.

To reduce your daily salt intake, you first need to eliminate high-sodium packaged foods from your diet.

Next, try to cook your own food with a little salt.

A little goes a long way if you want to live a healthy life.

Pasta

Honestly, I would say pasta, rice and bread are the healthiest foods on the planet!

But unfortunately, just because it tastes good doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

White pasta, rice, and bread all are examples of refined carbohydrates.

And your brain doesn’t deal with them.

So much so that just one single meal with a high glycemic load can impair memory.

Did you know which foods have a high glycemic index?

Foods with refined carbs!

Your plate of pasta could be hurting your ability to think.

American cheese

If you love adding American cheese to your sandwiches, you need to stop altogether.

Processed and unnatural cheese, like American cheese, is bad for your brain health.

Even stringed, shredded, and sliced kinds.

Processed cheese increases your chance of getting Alzheimer’s.

They’re way too addictive as well and you will end up eating more.

This brings on weight gain.

Obesity further causes brain damage.

It reduces your brain’s cognitive function, its volumes, and even alters your brain structure.

Margarine

Surprised to see another healthy food listed as ‘bad for your brain’?

Well buckle up, because I have some bad news for you.

Margarine leads to the accumulation and clumping of a specific type of protein.

This protein enhances toxicity and leads to memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease.

Your brain is incredibly precious. Thankfully, you now know how to keep it healthy, don’t you?