Junk Food May Cause Your Brain To Shrink, Eat These Healthy Foods Instead

Your lifestyle, especially your diet can have a deep impact on your overall health, even on the size of your brain! A recent study reveals that junk food can considerably reduce the size of your brain and can impact its functionality. A diet rich in processed and unhealthy foods can cause your brain to shrink. However, a diet rich in essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants can keep your brain in a good state of health for a prolonged period of time. It reduces the risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. These benefits are specifically seen in case of people who consume a Mediterranean diet. According to a new study published in Neurology, people who consume a healthy diet have an average brain volume of 2 milimitres greater than that of people who consume an unhealthy diet. Keeping this in perspective, 3.6 milimetres smaller brain volume equals to one year of ageing. Therefore, it can be said that the smaller your brain gets, the more you age. And this is influenced by your diet to quite an extent. This study is not the first of its kind and probably won't be the last one either. Research in the past has also revealed that a diet rich in essential minerals, vitamins, fats and proteins stops the brain from shrinking.

Dietician Monisha Ashokan says, "Consuming too much junk food can alter brain development and affect memory. Consuming junk food, leads to the release of a chemical called dopamine, that gives pleasure to the brain leaving it craving for more junk food. It's a vicious cycle where the brain keeps getting addicted to it making it difficult to wean you off it."

According to Monisha, The good and healthy foods that can have Healthy impact on brain are:

Vitamin E and vitamin B12 rich foods like peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, meat, poultry, egg, milk.
Foods rich in omega3 fatty acids fish (salmon), walnuts, flaxseeds, soya beans,The yolk part of egg is excellent for memory development due to the presence of choline.

Replacing junk foods with high soluble and insoluble fibres like oats, green vegetables, fruits, whole grains will have a positive impact on brain cells.

Also read: Anti-Inflammatory Foods: 7 Best Food Items You Should Add To Your Diet

Therefore, you need to stick to a diet rich in essential nutrients and the following foods. These will prevent your brain from shrinking:

1. Almonds

When your mother handed you a couple of almonds every morning, she aimed at boosting your memory power. Almonds are rich in essential vitamins and nutrients like vitamin A, D, protein and healthy fats which are extremely essential for your overall health. In the whole form, in the form of nut butter or nut milk, almonds have a number of health benefits to offer. With just a handful of almonds in a day, you can keep your skin, hair and brain healthy. A couple of almonds a day can prevent your brain from shrinking.
 

The super-spicy and garlicky Indian curries are one of the major reasons why our Indian food is extremely popular in the world. The best thing about garlic is that it adds both flavour to food and nutrients to your body. Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of garlic prevent your body from the negative effects of free radicals. Garlic also prevents your brain from shrinking.
 

3. Cauliflower

Cauliflower curry with a few chapattis is an absolute delight. It is delicious, light and super-healthy. The essential minerals and nutrients in cauliflower are quite beneficial for your overall health. It is a rich source of fibre which keeps your bowel movements in check. This vegetable is quite beneficial for your brain health as well, it prevents your brain from shrinking.
 

4. Eggs

Eggs are indeed one of the healthiest foods of all time. They are one of the richest sources of protein and healthy fats. Making eggs a part of your diet has a wide variety of health benefits to offer, from weight loss to improved heart health. But the most important benefits of all time is its ability to prevent your brain from shrinking.
 

5. Chicken

Chicken is also extremely beneficial for your overall health. A rich source of lean protein, minerals and vitamins, chickens are a must-include in your daily diet. They can be added to curries, or included in salads or sandwiches or eaten the popular Tandoori style! Irrespective of the form of consumption, chicken is one of the healthiest foods of all time. They also help you prevent your brain from shrinking in size, thereby reducing the risk of diseases like Alzheimer's.
 

(Monisha Ashokan is a clinical nutritionist at Nourish Me, Delhi)

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