How An Unhealthy Diet Could Hurt Your Brain

Within your GI tract, billions of bacteria are inhibiting. As a result, they have an impact on the synthesis of chemicals that act as neurotransmitters to send messages from your stomach to your brain. For instance, dopamine and serotonin are components of the brain's reward system, which makes you feel good.

Healthy food consumption encourages the development of beneficial bacteria, which automatically affects the synthesis of neurotransmitters. On the other hand, eating junk food and fast food regularly will lead to inflammation and impede the formation of neurotransmitters.

What's On Your Menu?

What comes to mind when you hear the term "junk food"? This expression is frequently used to discuss the nutritional worth of food and generally applies to any dish that isn't very healthy for you. On the other hand, fast food is a particular kind of junk food that you might find at a drive-through restaurant or warming up at a petrol station. Junk foods appeal to people who are searching for a quick meal that tastes nice since they frequently contain excessive amounts of salt, sugar, and artificial colours.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that these foods may taste wonderful, they offer very little nutritional value to your body. Even though they may be wonderful at quelling your hunger, eating too much junk food might eventually be detrimental. In light of all of this, it is especially alarming to learn that about 40% of Americans consume fast food or junk food on any given day, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Effects Of Unhealthy Diets

Most people believe that their food only has an impact on their long-term health, however a poor diet can also significantly affect how you feel on a daily basis. The most typical short-term effects of junk food diets are described below.

Reduced Energy And Focus

Food can significantly affect your daily life in terms of concentration, energy, and general productivity. Your body processes food differently depending on what it is, therefore eating the incorrect things (junk food) might make you feel drowsy and lethargic.

Bloating

It is common knowledge that eating a diet high in fat and salt is unhealthy for you, but not everyone is aware of the exact reasons why. Along with the sluggishness that comes with eating too much junk food, you might also feel physically uncomfortable as a result of your dietary decisions, such as bloating and headaches. When you consume an excessive number of salty meals, your body's cells begin to retain an excessive amount of water, which makes you appear and feel bloated.

Reflux Of Acid And Indigestion

Although indigestion, heartburn, and acid reflux can affect anyone, these disorders can also individually be brought on by consuming too many fatty meals. Foods high in fat can stay in your stomach far longer than other foods, which can increase the amount of acid your stomach produces. More acid increases your risk of developing acid reflux, which in turn causes heartburn. In addition, eating too many fatty foods might cause indigestion, which is a persistent pain in the upper abdomen.

Big Sugar Crash

Sugar crashes are a typical indication that your diet contains too much sugars. When you experience a sugar crash, your blood contains an excessive amount of glucose (sugar), which prompts your body to start manufacturing enormous amounts of insulin to make up for it. When insulin is produced in excess, it can cause headaches, nausea, sweating, and dizziness, in addition to lowering blood sugar levels. Insulin also helps to prevent fainting.

Depression

A 2016 study found a link between higher levels of sadness and diets high in carbohydrates and sugar. This means that while research has shown that eating healthier can improve your physical health, it may also play a significant role in improving your mental health.

Bad Sleep

We haven't fully figured out why we need sleep, what it does to our thoughts, or what keeps us from obtaining a decent night's sleep, which makes sleep one of the more enigmatic aspects of the human experience. There is, however, some evidence that suggests our diets may influence our capacity to begin dozing off. According to several research, people who consume less fiber, more sugar, and saturated fats throughout the day run the risk of sleeping much less well than others who eat a more balanced diet.

Foods and Drinks To Stay Away From

Soda

Eliminating soda from one's diet is a great approach to significantly lower one's risk of developing risky conditions including liver, kidney, and heart disease, as well as diabetes, stroke, and other related illnesses. 

Packaged Items

Packaged sweets, whether they be brownies or cookies, are laden with sugar and trans fats. Trans fat consumption on a regular basis has been linked to cancer, infertility, and cognitive impairments. Are you still looking for something sweet to eat? Try one of our gourmet dry fruit baskets to satisfy your appetite and improve your health at the same time. They are packed with nutrients and flavour.

Energy Beverages

For a sweet, caffeinated experience throughout the day, many people turn to energy drinks. These drinks' abilities to keep you awake, however, also make them particularly dangerous for your health. They include a lot of sugar, carbohydrates, and caffeine, which can cause high blood pressure, headaches, dehydration, and other symptoms.

Fruit Beverages

Fruity beverages frequently have labels that feature pictures of real fruit, but they actually contain a lot of high fructose corn syrup, which significantly raises your risk of type 2 diabetes. Choose only beverages that contain 100% fruit juice when it comes to fruit juice. Otherwise, your healthiest option would be water and a bowl of fresh fruit.

We can't always see the effects our diet is having, but the food we eat and the amounts we eat play a significant part in our general health. Making wise choices about what goes on our plates is crucial since it's possible to have a thin waist and blocked arteries. The link between a healthy diet and mental health is apparent, but knowing how the two are related scientifically might help you stick to your eating plan.

References

1. Brissette, C. (2018, March 01). This is your body on fast food. Retrieved June 27, 2019, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/sneaking-a-little-junk-food-doesnt-mean-all-is-lost/2018/02/26/828b75fa-1b36-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html?utm_term=.7f553d03bdb3
2. Chi, A. (n.d.). How Does a Poor Diet Affect Your Digestive System? Retrieved June 27, 2019, from https://www.livestrong.com/article/435030-how-does-a-poor-diet-affect-your-digestive-system/
3. Ducharme, J. (2018, October 03). Almost 40% of Americans Eat Fast Food on a Given Day. Retrieved June 27, 2019, from https://time.com/5412796/fast-food-americans/
4. Friedman, R. (2019, March 27). What You Eat Affects Your Productivity. Retrieved June 27, 2019, from https://hbr.org/2014/10/what-you-eat-affects-your-productivity