Fast food makes the brain shrink

The consumption of french fries, burgers and soft drinks not only makes you fat and hurts your heart, it also shrinks your brain. This is demonstrated by a study of the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra.

"People ruin their brains through fast food and lack of exercise," says a press release issued by the ANU, citing the study's director, Professor Nicolas Cherubin. For the study, he and his team had evaluated about 200 international studies of the relationship between individual lifestyle and the risk of dementia.

The risk of diabetes and dementia is linked

In the study published in the journal "Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology", researchers were able to prove that people who consume foods high in fat and sugar over a long period have a higher risk of developing diabetes type 2 and dementia. This can even lead to a reduction of the brain.

The researchers write that type 2 diabetes is badociated with reduced cognitive abilities, dementia and brain loss. With unhealthy lifestyles, this process starts much earlier, say the researchers. According to their research, about 30% of adults in the world are overweight. By the year 2030, one in ten adults would be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

The damage begins at a young age

But even without diabetes, the brain can shrink as a result of an inadequate diet, says Cherubin. "Our research shows that nerve cell loss begins much earlier:" We have demonstrated a clear link between decreased brain performance and an unhealthy lifestyle. "

Ideally, kids and teens should not even get in touch with fast food. Because a healthy nutrition for the prevention of dementia only works very early. The damage is almost irreversible when they reach quarantine, says Cherubin.

With the right diet, prevent dementia

It has been known for some time that a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce the risk of dementia. The best strategy is prevention. Here, individual eating habits and a balanced diet rich in vitamins play an important role. In addition, some foods promote mental health. Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) found that regular consumption of fungi protected against memory loss and reduced the risk of dementia by more than half.

For their study, published in the journal "Alzheimer's Desease", scientists have observed over a six-year period a total of 600 Chinese, all over the age of 60 and in good health. They were regularly examined, asked about their diet and had to perform various neuropsychological tests.

Certain types of mushrooms slow down mental deterioration

The researchers found that in the diet the consumption of fungi had a positive effect on brain performance. Memory and language problems seemed to be alleviated by regular consumption. Study participants who ate two servings (about 300 grams) of steamed mushrooms, chanterelles, shiitakes or oyster mushrooms each week had considerably less cognitive limitations than those who consumed little or no fungi.

Their overall risk of contracting dementia was 57% lower. This resulted in a measure of brain activity by electroencephalography (EEG). It did not matter if the mushrooms were fresh, dried or canned.

This ingredient keeps the gray cells in shape

The explanation of the positive effect on brain performance is seen by the study's director, Irwin Cheah, in ergothioneine, an amino acid contained in fungi. It belongs to antioxidants, has an anti-inflammatory effect and seems to protect brain cells from damage.

In previous studies, Cheah had previously shown that the lack of ergothioneine increased the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. The expert therefore advises the consumption of mushrooms, to prevent insanitary diseases.

Mediterranean cuisine: Prevent Alzheimer's disease by eating

Besides mushrooms, there are a number of other foods whose consumption has a positive effect on brain performance. Although no one can "reduce" their risk of Alzheimer's disease, the feared dementia disorder occurs less frequently in people who consume consciously. Omega-3 fatty acids are particularly important for the protection of nerve cells. The body can not produce it alone, so it has to absorb it through food. The main supplier of omega-3 is fish, such as salmon, mackerel, anchovies or herring.

Experts recommend Mediterranean cuisine. Many fruits and vegetables, olive oil, nuts and sea fish, but little red meat, this is the recipe of a fit head. Because this mixture seems to increase brain power and improve energy metabolism. Who controls his blood lipid levels and his diabetes also reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Too much cholesterol increases the risk of Alzheimer's

It has long been suspected that high cholesterol levels in the blood promote Alzheimer's disease. Assessments from the so-called Rotterdam study involving 5,395 participants over the age of 55 suggest that high consumption of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol is badociated with an increased risk of dementia. Trans fatty acids are particularly dangerous because they are present in hardened and highly heated fats. They promote the formation of so-called amyloid plaques in the brain and thus trigger an inflammation of the head.

Phytosterols reduce the risk of dementia

But there are also nutrients that slow down the formation of these plates: cholesterol plants (phytosterols). In the brain, they partially displace the cholesterol produced by humans themselves. In particular, phytosterol stigmasterol has a protective effect against plaque formation. Stigmasterol is found in olives, eggplants, zucchini and avocados, for example.

Fit in the head with fish and healthy fatty acids

Several studies have suggested that a high intake of vitamins C and E could be badociated with a reduced risk of disease. This is emphasized by the German Alzheimer Society. Participants in a French study who consumed fish at least once a week suffered less after a seven-year observation period dementia as participants who have never eaten fish.

In another study, weekly fish consumption was badociated with a slower progression of memory disorders. The protective effect probably lies in the high content of omega-3 fatty acids. They are found mainly in fatty sea fish such as salmon, tuna or mackerel, as well as in flax seeds, hemp, rapeseed and walnut oil.

Vitamin B12 against memory loss

For the brain to work well, other vitamins and minerals also play a role. Thus, a deficiency in folic acid increases the risk of depression and can also affect memory. Folic acid is found mainly in green vegetables such as spinach or broccoli, but also in orange juice or yeast. The lack of other B vitamins or iron also weakens brain function. Cell protection also provides polyphenols (phytochemicals) in olive oil, blueberries and red grape juice.

Vitamin B12 is especially important for the prevention of dementia. This is suggested by several studies. The vitamin is found in foods of animal origin such as meat, fish and dairy products and aims to slow down the shrinkage of the brain, typical of age. Experts recommend that older people eat foods rich in vitamin B12. The liver and crustaceans are good sources.

cautionEven though the body needs vitamins, too much can be harmful. Therefore, avoid handling the vitamin tablet or discuss with the doctor. Many supplements are overdosed and cause damage to the body.

What foods are harming the brain

Obesity and diabetes increase the risk of dementia, researchers at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland have discovered. Due to differences in blood sugar levels, a degeneration of our brain can be triggered, we say. In an American study (Mayo Clinic study on aging) presented at the Congress of Neurologists in Copenhagen, researchers were able to detect changes in certain areas of the brain in people who consume a lot of fat and sugar. They suspect that these are related to Alzheimer's disease.

The beta-amyloid is cleaved from a larger precursor protein (amyloid precursor protein). The peptide is attached to other peptide fragments, so that deposits that affect the function of the nerve cells are formed and eventually destroy them. (Source: Photographic Material: GettyImages, Edition: t-online)

Sugar and fats shrink the cerebral cortex

672 elderly people were examined at the average age of 80 years. They were asked a lot about their diet and had a brain scan (MRI). The researchers focused their attention on certain areas of the cerebral cortex, usually afflicted in Alzheimer's disease. They found that participants who consumed foods high in fat and sugar had a thinner cerebral cortex in Alzheimer's disease than those who followed a balanced diet rich in vitamins.

Neurologists from the University Charles de Hradec Králové in the Czech Republic presented similar results. They were able to show that a high consumption of fresh foods containing a lot of fruits and vegetables had a positive effect on the thickness of areas of the cerebral cortex important for Alzheimer's disease.