Feel like you're in a fog? Moodier or more forgetful than usual? See what researchers have to say about these four nutrients.
By Emma Haak
What the FDA Just Outlawed...
Likely sources: Deep-fried treats, the crackers you always have in the house and, of course, fast food
What they have in common: Artificial trans fats, which are such unequivocal bad news that the FDA told U.S. food manufacturers to get the most common form of them (partially hydrogenated oils) out of their products within the next three years.
Science says: These fats could do a number on your memory. The more trans fatty acids people consumed, the worse they performed on a word-recall test, found a study in PLOS One. High consumption of them is also linked to smaller brain volume and aggression and irritability.
Likely sources: Soups, sodas, yogurt and candy, among others
What they have in common: Added sugar
Science says: It's bad for your memory, too. A high-sugar diet made it harder for rats to remember where a specific object was located in a place they'd been to before, according to findings published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity. Inflammation was detected in the hippocampus, a crucial area for memory. High amounts of sugar can lead to inflammation in humans brains too, says Jennifer Molano, MD, associate professor of neurology and rehabilitation medicine at the University of Cincinnati, and it may make your brain less efficient at retrieving and processing information.
What they have in common: Added sugar
Science says: It's bad for your memory, too. A high-sugar diet made it harder for rats to remember where a specific object was located in a place they'd been to before, according to findings published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity. Inflammation was detected in the hippocampus, a crucial area for memory. High amounts of sugar can lead to inflammation in humans brains too, says Jennifer Molano, MD, associate professor of neurology and rehabilitation medicine at the University of Cincinnati, and it may make your brain less efficient at retrieving and processing information.
Likely sources: Your favorite sandwich. Bread, cheese, cured meats and cold cuts and are full of this mineral.
What they have in common: They're high in sodium
Science says: A study in Neurobiology of Aging tracked the activity levels and sodium intake of more than 1,200 men and women between the ages of 67 and 84 and found that tons of sodium plus little activity led to poorer cognitive health. Interestingly, salt appeared to be more of a problem than couch potato–ness, as adults with low sodium and low activity fared better over time. Just as sodium does in other parts of the body, it can lead to a narrowing of the blood vessels that transport oxygen and other essential nutrients, Molano says, which means your brain can't get the resources it needs to work at its highest levels.
What they have in common: They're high in sodium
Science says: A study in Neurobiology of Aging tracked the activity levels and sodium intake of more than 1,200 men and women between the ages of 67 and 84 and found that tons of sodium plus little activity led to poorer cognitive health. Interestingly, salt appeared to be more of a problem than couch potato–ness, as adults with low sodium and low activity fared better over time. Just as sodium does in other parts of the body, it can lead to a narrowing of the blood vessels that transport oxygen and other essential nutrients, Molano says, which means your brain can't get the resources it needs to work at its highest levels.
Likely sources: Dairy, desserts and the chip-and-dip combos you dig into at parties
What they have in common: They're high in fat
Science says: The list of healthy fat's benefits continues to grow. But a diet that's too high in total fat may affect your emotions, according to research in the International Journal of Obesity. Mice put on a high-fat diet (58 percent of their calories came from fat) developed signs of despair, anxious behavior and increased levels of a protein that's known to be higher in depressed people (brain-derived neurotropic factor). And saturated fat may be particularly harmful, says study co-author Stephanie Fulton, PhD, associate professor of nutrition at the Montreal Diabetes Research Center at the University of Montreal.
