Junk Food Can Negatively Affect Our Brains Faster Than We Think

It’s all right there in the name: junk food, it’s not exactly going to be healthy. Although we all know the effects it has on the body really well, the consequences it has for our brains are still relatively unknown. According to a recent study, having a diet that is rich in fat and carbohydrates could only take three days to start having effects on our brains.

Junk Food Could Affect Our Brains Very Quickly
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Junk Food Could Affect Our Brains Very Quickly

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All fast-food lovers will have noticed that regularly consuming junk food has an undeniable effect on your figure and your weight. But according to a recent study led by Yale University in the United States, junk food could also have consequences on our brains and could also occur a lot sooner than the visible effects on our bodies.

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According to scientists, it only takes a diet that is rich in fat and carbohydrates three days to start affecting the brain. Why? A protein called UCP2 which causes the hypothalamus to become inflamed. This area is where vital functions such as appetite regulation and fear management are regulated and take place.

The influence that your diet has on the health of your brain

In the lab, researchers observed that activating this protein also stimulated the animals with this type of diet to eat more, hence they became obese more quickly.

But by blocking this mechanism and removing the protein, the animals with a diet rich in fat ate less and were more resistant to weight gain.

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MONTHLY MEAL PLAN IN OUR BIO⠀ .⠀ Follow us (@simplyfitsociety) for more⠀ .⠀ By @healthyfitnessmeals⠀ .⠀ Who needs a restaurant when you can make it at home?⠀ .⠀ Grilled Chicken Burrito Bowl 🍲 😋😍⠀ .⠀ Ingredients⠀ * 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts⠀ * 1 Cup Cooked Brown Rice⠀ * 1 Tbsp Lime Juice⠀ * 1 Small Avocado sliced⠀ * 2 Cups Mixed Greens⠀ * ½ Cup Black Beans⠀ * ½ Cup Canned corn, drained or grilled⠀ * ⅓ Cup Cherry Tomatoes cut into quarters⠀ * 2 Tbsp Greek yogurt⠀ * ½ Red onion diced⠀ * 1 Jalapeno Pepper sliced⠀ * Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste⠀ * A small handful of chopped cilantro, plus more to garnish⠀ For the Chicken Marinade⠀ * 2 Tbsp Olive oil⠀ * 1 Tbsp Fresh lime juice⠀ * ½ tsp Paprika⠀ * ½ tsp Ground Cumin⠀ * ¼ tsp Chili Powder⠀ * ¼ tsp Garlic Powder⠀ * ¼ tsp Onion Powder⠀ * ¼ tsp Dried Oregano⠀ * A pinch of salt and pepper, or to taste⠀ ⠀ Instructions⠀ 1. In a ziploc bag, mix all marinade ingredients until smooth. Add chicken, seal the bag and shake until chicken is evenly coated.⠀ 2. Heat a grill pan or an outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the inside.⠀ 3. Remove from the grill and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.⠀ 4. In a small bowl mix cooked rice with lime juice, chopped cilantro, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.⠀ 5. Toss to combine then set aside. To assemble the bowls, add the greens at the bottom of each one, then 1 sliced chicken breast.⠀ 6. Divide the remaining ingredients among the 2 bowls. Garnish with fresh cilantro and jalapeno and enjoy!

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‘There are specific brain mechanisms that get activated when we expose ourselves to specific type of foods,’ as Dr Sabrina Diano, the main author of this study, explains. These mechanisms however do have consequences for our bodies.

Going beyond nutrition, the scientist hopes that her research into this will also be able to be used in a larger and broader area of study, such as research into Alzheimer’s disease.

Junk food starts affecting your brain much faster than you think Junk food starts affecting your brain much faster than you think