BRAIN HEALTH AND FAST FOOD
Fast food poses significant risks to brain health, linked to faster cognitive decline, impaired memory, increased inflammation, and higher risks of depression, anxiety, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, due to its high sugar, unhealthy fats, and processed ingredients that disrupt brain function, disrupt neurotransmitters, and cause inflammation. Reducing ultra-processed foods and focusing on whole foods can help protect memory and reduce these risks, even after short periods of high-fat intake.
Cognitive & Memory Risks
Memory: Impairment: High-fat diets disrupt memory circuits in the hippocampus, making neurons overactive and hindering memory formation, a process that can happen within days.
Cognitivie Decline: Regular consumption of ultra-processed foods (like fast food) is linked to a faster rate of cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia.
Learning: Junk food can reduce neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt and form new memories and skills.
Mental Health Risks
Depression & Anxiety: Fast food is associated with higher odds of depression, anxiety, and stress, potentially by increasing brain inflammation.
Mood Swings: High sugar and glycemic load can lead to irritability and mood instability.
Underlying Mechanisms
Inflammation: Sugary, processed foods trigger inflammation in the brain, a key factor in cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.
Nutrient Deficiency: Lack of essential nutrients found in whole foods hinders optimal brain function.
Sleep Disruption: Poor nutritional quality can disrupt sleep, further impacting mental health and cognition.
Research On Connections
“Eating ultra-processed foods tied to cognitive decline: Source: Harvard Health
BIOLOGICAL AGING AND FAST FOOD
Fast foods contain higher levels of fats and sodium and can lead to weight gain since it’s more difficult to moderate your calorie intake with restaurant portions. A 2017 study suggested that it’s not wear and tear but diet that has a lot to do with the onset of osteoarthritis, especially animal fats. According to the results, a diet containing 20 percent saturated fats and simple carbohydrates “produced osteoarthritic-like changes in the knee.” According to NeuroScience News, new research hints at a few ways fatty foods affect cells in the brain, a finding that could help explain the link between a high-fat diet and impaired memory – especially as we age.
Research On Connections
“A 2017 study suggested that it’s not wear and tear but diet that has a lot to do with the onset of osteoarthritis, especially animal fats. According to the results, a diet containing 20 percent saturated fats and simple carbohydrates “produced osteoarthritic-like changes in the knee” Source: Medical News Today
“The American Heart Association recommends aiming for a dietary pattern that achieves 5% to 6% of calories from saturated fat. For example, if you need about 2,000 calories a day, no more than 120 of them should come from saturated fat. That’s about 13 grams of saturated fat per day” Source: American Heart Association
“New research hints at a few ways fatty foods affect cells in the brain, a finding that could help explain the link between a high-fat diet and impaired memory – especially as we age” Source: NeuroScience News
RECOMMENDED HEALTHY AGING PROTOCOL
“I Eat Fast Food”: Answer = Never