Harvard physician Uma Naidoo reveals 5 foods that damage the brain: “They significantly increase the risk of dementia”

From the walls of Harvard’s hallways come whispers that do not frighten but instruct. When, on a night of the full moon, past the witching hour, a book falls from a shelf, the student—half-awake and reflective—picks it up to absorb its words.

Thus, those who emerge from these halls do so with a transformed perspective, enriched with wisdom, knowledge, and erudition. Dr Uma Naidoo, a psychiatrist certified by Harvard Medical School, where she also teaches, has answered the call of knowledge in multiple fields: she is a professional chef trained at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and a nutrition specialist from Cornell University. She suffers, as it were, from this blessed and enlightened “disease.”

Her words are not merely taken to church but resonate in every temple, library, and altar—always with the critical licence that the scientific method demands for the sake of progress.

Accustomed to presenting at international conferences, Dr Naidoo also contributes regular opinion pieces and articles to leading publications. One of her recent pieces, published on the Nutrigenomics Institute website, identifies the five foods that most weaken memory and concentration—the brain’s five arch-enemies.

Added sugars: the myth is true. “The brain uses energy in the form of glucose to fuel cellular activity,” she explains, while warning that “an excess of glucose in the brain is linked to memory problems and reduced plasticity of the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls memory.” Hence the damage caused by unhealthy processed foods.

And another urban legend turns out to be true: fried foods. “French fries, tempura, breaded steak... does it make your mouth water? I understand,” she writes, cautioning that “a diet rich in fried foods is associated with poorer learning and memory performance.” The culprit is inflammation, which can damage the blood vessels that supply the brain.

High-glycaemic-index carbohydrates: the reader need not panic. Bread, pasta, and other foods made from refined flour need not be eliminated altogether, but attention should be paid to the quality of the flour; otherwise, the risk of depression increases. Instead, leafy green vegetables, fruits, raw carrots, kidney beans, chickpeas, and lentils are recommended alternatives.

The fourth enemy is alcohol, often consumed as an escape from the pressures of a demanding world. When intake is high—bearing in mind that each body reacts differently—it is closely linked to the development of dementia.

Finally, nitrates, often hidden as preservatives in sliced cold cuts and cured meats. Recent studies associate nitrates with changes in the gut microbiota, which can tilt the balance toward bipolar disorder and depression. As in the previous cases, one must be sure of the quality of what one eats to safeguard brain health.

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This is not just an opinion—it is what they say in the halls of Harvard.

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