Harvard doctor reveals 5 foods may be linked to early memory loss and dementia
Her research highlights that certain foods may negatively influence gut bacteria, trigger brain inflammation, and contribute to early memory loss or dementia. By avoiding or limiting these foods, individuals can help support sharper thinking, improved decision-making, and overall long-term brain health.
6 Foods that are super rich in iron
Common foods that may cause early memory loss and dementia
Added sugars
The brain relies on glucose for energy, but excessive sugar can harm memory and reduce plasticity in the hippocampus, which controls learning and recall.
Processed foods like sodas, cakes, and candies, often containing high-fructose corn syrup, flood the brain with glucose and can disrupt normal brain function. Over time, this can also increase the risk of insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, all of which negatively affect brain health.
The American Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than 25 grams of added sugar daily and men stay under 36 grams.
Checking nutrition labels for 'added sugars' can help manage intake and prevent overconsumption.
Fried foods
Foods like French fries, tempura, samosas, and fried chicken can lead to inflammation that damages blood vessels supplying the brain. Studies have linked high consumption of fried foods to lower learning and memory scores and increased risk of depression. The unhealthy fats in fried foods can also increase cholesterol levels, which may reduce blood flow to the brain and contribute to cognitive decline.
Reducing fried food intake, switching from daily to weekly or monthly consumption, can protect cognitive function and support mental well-being.
Incorporating healthier cooking methods like baking, steaming, or air-frying is a good alternative.
High-glycemic-load carbohydrates
Refined carbs, such as white bread, pasta, and potatoes, can spike blood sugar similarly to sugar and may increase the risk of depression. High-glycemic foods can also cause inflammation and oxidative stress, which affect neurons and brain function over time.
Choosing whole grains, fiber-rich foods, and low-glycemic-index options can reduce these risks. Maintaining stable blood sugar supports brain health, mood regulation, and cognitive performance.
Eating more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains helps improve memory retention and focus.
Alcohol
While moderate drinking may seem harmless, excessive alcohol can impair brain function and increase the risk of dementia.
Studies show that heavy drinkers and those who abstain completely may face higher dementia risk compared to moderate drinkers. Alcohol can interfere with sleep, nutrient absorption, and neurotransmitter balance, all of which are vital for memory and cognition. Dr. Naidoo advises being mindful of alcohol use, especially when it serves as a coping mechanism for stress.
Moderation, along with hydration and balanced nutrition, is key to protecting long-term cognitive health.
Nitrates
Preservatives in processed meats such as bacon, salami, and sausages may negatively affect gut bacteria, potentially impacting mood and cognition. Some research links nitrates to mental health conditions like depression and bipolar disorder. Nitrates can also form compounds in the body that may cause oxidative stress and inflammation, which can harm brain cells. Choosing nitrate-free options or meats containing antioxidant-rich fillers like buckwheat flour may help mitigate these effects.
Limiting processed meat consumption and including more plant-based protein sources can further support brain and overall health.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Time of India
Weight loss before IVF may improve odds of pregnancy
London: Women seeking in vitro fertilization might improve their odds of becoming pregnant if they lose weight, but the magnitude of any advantage wasn't clear, in a new analysis of previous studies. The benefit of weight loss was mainly seen in the few couples who ultimately achieved pregnancy without assistance, however. While weight loss interventions appeared to improve the likelihood of spontaneous pregnancy - negating the need for IVF - it was not clear whether they improved the odds of IVF-induced pregnancy, according to the report by lead researcher Moscho Michalopoulou and colleagues at the University of Oxford in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Also unclear was whether weight loss improved the odds of a live birth. Weight loss interventions studied included low-calorie diets, an exercise program accompanied by healthy eating advice, and pharmacotherapy accompanied by diet and physical activity advice - but no single approach seemed better than another. The 12 randomized trials in the review were small, and the wide variety of methods employed by the various research teams made it hard to compare the results, the authors of the new analysis wrote. Weight loss did not appear to increase the risk of pregnancy loss, the researchers also found. Dr. Alan Penzias, an IVF specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School in Boston, published an editorial with the study. He notes that "weight reduction among people with overweight or obesity has many known health benefits... (and) some patients may also achieve a desired pregnancy as a consequence of weight loss." But in decision-making about IVF, the editorial continues, "we must consider the marked decrease in fertility as age increases... and other factors that weight loss cannot address." EXPERIMENTAL NANOBOTS SEAL OFF SENSITIVE TOOTH NERVES Experimental microscopic robots that travel into tiny tunnels in teeth may one day offer lasting relief from tooth sensitivity, laboratory experiments suggest. Tooth sensitivity - sharp, sudden pain triggered by hot, cold, sweet, or sour substances - occurs when the protective layers of the tooth are compromised, exposing the underlying nerve endings. The researchers' so-called CalBots are 400-nanometer magnetic particles loaded with a ceramic formula that mimics the natural environment of the tooth. Guided by an external magnetic field, the tiny bots travel deep into the exposed tubules and assemble themselves into cement-like plugs that protect the nerve. In lab experiments on extracted human teeth, high-resolution imaging confirmed that the bots had created tight seals, the researchers reported. In animal tests, they found that mice with tooth sensitivity who had been avoiding cold water would drink it again after treatment with the CalBot solution. Most current treatments for tooth sensitivity, such as desensitizing toothpastes, offer only surface-level relief and need to be reapplied regularly, while the CalBots would provide longer-lasting relief in just one application, the researchers reported in Advanced Science. They hope their treatment - which still needs to be tested in humans - might eventually offer benefits beyond the relief of dental hypersensitivity, such as minimizing the penetration of bacteria into cavities and tooth injuries. "We didn't want to create a slightly better version of what's already out there," study leader Shanmukh Peddi, a post-doctoral researcher at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, said in a statement. "We wanted a technology that solves a real problem in a way that no one's attempted before." Peddi is a co-founder of Theranautilus, a Bangalore nanotechnology and healthcare company.
The Print
17 hours ago
- The Print
Harvard researchers may have found key piece to Alzheimer's puzzle. It was in the human brain all along
The disease, which typically affects a large number of those above 65 years of age and is the commonest cause of dementia, is characterised by destruction of memory and mental functions and researchers have been working for decades to find its cure, without success. Scientists associated with the Harvard Medical School in the US say, the key to Alzheimer's—an incurable neurodegenerative condition—could be lithium metal, already well-known in psychiatry for treating conditions such as bipolar disorder. But until now, its deficiency had not been directly linked with Alzheimer's. New Delhi: The findings from a ground-breaking scientific project on early detection, prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease may lead to a foundational piece of the puzzle. The latest study, published in journal Nature this month, showed—for the first time—that lithium naturally occurs in the brain, protects it from neurodegeneration and maintains the normal function of all crucial brain cell types. The results—which were a decade in the making—are based on a series of meticulously planned experiments on mice and analyses of human brain tissue, apart from blood samples from people in various stages of cognitive health. 'These observations indicate a physiological role for endogenous lithium that affects brain aging and vulnerability to Alzheimer's,' the scientists noted. It was estimated that in 2021, nearly 50-400 million people worldwide had Alzheimer's, typically associated with high levels of beta-amyloids, a specific type of protein whose build-up can seriously impair functioning of several organs such as the brain. Through this latest project, US scientists found that lithium loss in the human brain is one of the earliest changes leading to Alzheimer's, while in mice, similar lithium depletion accelerated brain pathology and memory decline. Also, the reduced lithium levels stemmed from binding to amyloid plaques and impaired uptake in the brain. A final set of experiments also found that a novel lithium compound that avoids capture by amyloid plaques restored memory in mice. Understandably, clinicians are excited. 'This work shifts lithium from the sidelines to centrestage in Alzheimer's research, revealing it might have an overlooked but important key to understanding the ailment, with implications for its early detection, prevention, and management,' Dr Sudhir Kumar, a senior neurologist associated with Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad, told ThePrint. In India, it is estimated that nearly 8 million people are currently living with Alzheimer's, and this number is projected to double by 2030. Also read: 'Rare' genetic mutation linked to Alzhiemer's resistance in international study Spotting the missing link Experts say that the life-altering disease has for long been associated with clumps of the protein amyloid beta, neurofibrillary tangles of the protein Tau—another crucial protein found in neurons—and loss of a protective type of protein, known as REST. Yet, these never fully explained the exact cause behind the disease. For instance, some people with these abnormalities have the condition but many others don't. For years, research has focused on preventing or slowing beta-amyloid build-up, from early vaccine attempts to more recent monoclonal antibody therapies such as lecanenab and donanenab approved by the US Food And Drug Administration, said Dr Arabinda Mukherjee, neurologist with CMRI Hospital in Kolkata. These newer drugs typically target the beta-amyloid plaque but don't reverse memory loss and only modestly reduce the rate of decline. The risk of the disease has also been linked with genetic and environmental factors but neuroscientists have not been able to figure out why some people with these risk factors develop Alzheimer's but others don't. In this context, the answer thrown by the new study—lithium—could be the critical missing link. The CMRI neurologist said that anything that gives us a new path towards prevention or slowing progression could have a profound impact—not only on patients, but also on their families and the healthcare system. 'This study is a reminder that sometimes solutions may lie in unexpected places, and that even familiar compounds can reveal new possibilities when science takes a closer look,' he underlined. Why a potential game-changer The new findings, experts say, fill a major gap in our understanding of early Alzheimer's pathology and the study is the first to show that lithium is naturally present in the brain and that its levels drop significantly in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to Alzheimer's. Among the implications of the results, said Dr Kumar, could be the reframing of lithium from a psychiatric drug to a potential nutrient-like neuroprotective agent; as the findings have demonstrated, it plays a physiological role in brain health, not just a pharmacologic one, and its deprivation may be an early driver of Alzheimer's. It may also lead to introduction of amyloid-evading lithium compounds such as lithium orotate, as unlike conventional lithium salts like carbonates, lithium orotate can bypass amyloid sequestration. In mouse models, it rescued memory and halted neuropathology without the toxicity seen at higher doses. Additionally, the work has offered new diagnostic and therapeutic avenues and shown that tracking lithium levels, possibly through blood or imaging, could serve as an early biomarker for disease risk. Low-dose lithium supplementation, especially with plaque-evading forms, may emerge as a preventative or disease-modifying strategy, pointed out Dr Kumar. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: There is a huge treatment gap for neurological conditions like Alzheimer's—how to close it
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
Are your French fries really ‘cancer sticks in disguise'?
Are your French fries really 'cancer sticks in disguise'? A Harvard-led study finds eating French fries regularly is linked to higher diabetes risk, adding to years of research on obesity, mortality, and acrylamide. Experts say moderation matters, but the science shows why fries aren't just harmless comfort food
