Nowadays,
there is good chance to consume a large quantity of fructose. When we eat a typical western diet, we usually intake a large amount of fructose as well from all kinds of soft drinks (high
fructose corn syrup (HFCS) typically), sweetened juice drinks, orange juice,
processed foods such as cakes and candies, as well as the HFCS that has been added to salad dressings,
breads, cereals and condiments
like ketchup. Even many sports drinks, though marketed as
"healthy", can have large amount of corn syrup or even crystalline fructose
as their main sweetener. Agave syrup, which is marketed as a "healthy" sweetener, is
one of the most concentrated forms of processed fructose in sweeteners. Actually, in the United States, sugar prices are higher than HFCS, therefore HFCS is the principal sweetener used in
processed foods and beverages.
But last year, a UCLA study found that a diet high in fructose can damage our memory and learning ability. In addition, a high fructose diet can cause insulin resistance in our body over time and possibly lead to type-2 diabetes and extra body fat. It can also detrimentally affect the triglyceride level (which enables the bidirectional transference of adipose fat and blood glucose from the liver) in our blood as well as the amount of LDL particles that cause plaque in our arteries, hence increasing the risk of heart disease.
Although natural whole fruits do contain fructose, they generally contain much smaller quantity (in fact, limes and lemons contain virtually zero fructose) than a sweetened juice drink or soft drink. Also, the benefits of phytonutrients, antioxidants and fiber in most whole fruits would counteract any negative effects of fructose.
Other foods that are harmful to our brain include the following:
Trans fats – they are strongly inflammatory in our entire body including damaging to cell membranes throughout the body. And so try to avoid consuming any hydrogenated oil in processed foods and deep fried foods.
Mercury -- mercury from pollution (coal burning plants are the biggest source of mercury pollution to air and water) and from fish that are high on the food chain such as tuna, shark, swordfish, tilefish, etc can possibly cause long term negative effects on our brain.
Wheat-based foods – Dr. William Davis found that wheat has addictive properties in the brain. Wheat contains compounds termed "exorphins" that have an effect in our brain similar to opiate drugs.
On the other hand, there are herbs and spices that can protect our brain. For example, turmeric is one of the highest antioxidant spices that also exhibits brain-protecting effects. In India, curry (which contains turmeric) is eaten daily. In there, rate of Alzheimers disease is among the lowest in the world, proving some of the brain-protecting effects of turmeric.
In addition, DHA and EPA omega-3 fats in fish oil have been proven in countless studies to protect our brain from damage.
But last year, a UCLA study found that a diet high in fructose can damage our memory and learning ability. In addition, a high fructose diet can cause insulin resistance in our body over time and possibly lead to type-2 diabetes and extra body fat. It can also detrimentally affect the triglyceride level (which enables the bidirectional transference of adipose fat and blood glucose from the liver) in our blood as well as the amount of LDL particles that cause plaque in our arteries, hence increasing the risk of heart disease.
Although natural whole fruits do contain fructose, they generally contain much smaller quantity (in fact, limes and lemons contain virtually zero fructose) than a sweetened juice drink or soft drink. Also, the benefits of phytonutrients, antioxidants and fiber in most whole fruits would counteract any negative effects of fructose.
Other foods that are harmful to our brain include the following:
Trans fats – they are strongly inflammatory in our entire body including damaging to cell membranes throughout the body. And so try to avoid consuming any hydrogenated oil in processed foods and deep fried foods.
Mercury -- mercury from pollution (coal burning plants are the biggest source of mercury pollution to air and water) and from fish that are high on the food chain such as tuna, shark, swordfish, tilefish, etc can possibly cause long term negative effects on our brain.
Wheat-based foods – Dr. William Davis found that wheat has addictive properties in the brain. Wheat contains compounds termed "exorphins" that have an effect in our brain similar to opiate drugs.
On the other hand, there are herbs and spices that can protect our brain. For example, turmeric is one of the highest antioxidant spices that also exhibits brain-protecting effects. In India, curry (which contains turmeric) is eaten daily. In there, rate of Alzheimers disease is among the lowest in the world, proving some of the brain-protecting effects of turmeric.
In addition, DHA and EPA omega-3 fats in fish oil have been proven in countless studies to protect our brain from damage.
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