Junk Food’s Worst Effect on You
Close up of crab rangoon with sauce

Junk Food’s Worst Effect on You

The healthy food movement has become a huge thing in the past year or so. People are seemingly becoming more and more conscious about their diet choices and where they purchase their food. Just click on a hashtag #healthyfood or #fitlife and your screen will reveal hundreds of images of plates full of natural yogurt and fruit, salads, etc. We stand behind this social trend 100%, even if sometimes people are doing it mainly to fit in and look cool in the eyes of their Facebook friends and followers on Instagram. Still, the effect of a healthy food conscious choice is great for people’s health as a whole.

Another argument has appeared against junk food recently. A study conducted at Oregon State University was published in the journal Neuroscience and its main topic was indeed junk food’s impact on people’s intelligence. The researchers suggested that diets that contain high-fat and high-sugar foods have a bad effect on the “cognitive flexibility” of people, meaning that they have weaker abilities to adapt and adjust to changing situation.

The research project used laboratory mice which were fed diets with different levels of fat and sugar and then given tests like passing mazes and basic puzzles. The research’s aim had to monitor changes in their mental and psychical functions. The main variable that captured the scientists’ attention were gut bacteria present in each control group.

Bacteria in your organism can actually influence many biological functions and stimulate sensory nerves or the immune system. The researchers noticed how for about 28 days, or four weeks, the performance of the mice, both physical and mental, was damaged significantly when they were kept on a high-fat, high-sugar eating regime. Gut bacteria was identified as the probably reason for decreased brain function in the animals.

Other studies have been performed in order to satisfy the scientific community’s interest in gut bacteria impact on brain function. A study was done in which groups of women were given either yogurt loaded with probiotics, or yogurt with no probiotics, or nothing special at all. It was noticed that the ones who did not consume probiotics suffered in their cognitive abilities and emotional state. It seems that gut bacteria is linked not only to you being a quick thinker, but also less stressed. Fat and sugar are bad for gut bacteria as they change your natural gut environment. Take a look at the shelves in your supermarket and you will notice the rise of products loaded with probiotics.

So why is this all so significant? Adaptability is quite important in our fast-paced lives. With the constant emerging new technology updates and the Internet as a whole, we are being swamped by information on a daily basis. Changes occur quickly as people can reach each other rapidly and easily, so if you are slower in your adaptability, you might just fall behind. Besides, employers value people who can react immediately when something unexpected occurs. Are you already thinking about skipping on the burger and fries and going for a fancy Ceaser salad?

Not only will you be a better thinker, but you will also feel good. Usually, very greasy, unhealthy foods can make you feel more tired than dishes rich in vitamins, for example. Your emotional state depends on what you eat to a large extent. Last but not least, your diet choices can help you look better. Less cm around the waist (if that is what you are aiming for), less cellulite and overall, a better health state are some of the consequences you will notice. The right menu can actually make your life very different. In fact, it can improve it quite a lot, so think about it and start making changes!


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