Knowing harmful substances for the brain

Holistically thinking, what’s bad for the body is naturally bad for the brain as well. Alcohol, tobacco, and sugar being harmful to the body are things most people are aware of, so here I will write about things that may not be talked about as much but can cause damage to the brain.

1. Heavy Metals

Heavy metals like lead, aluminum, manganese, and arsenic accumulate in the brain and can damage its functions. These metals not only cause long-term damage to a child’s brain when passed down from the mother, but also directly affect the development of a fetus’s brain due to high levels of heavy metals in pregnant women.

It’s important for not only the elderly but also young women planning to have children in the future to be cautious.

Among these, lead and manganese, for instance, are found in drinking water as well. So, I recommend investing in a high-quality water purifier to prevent their entry into the body through tap water.

Aluminum can enter the body through cooking utensils or wrapping food in aluminum foil for cooking. It’s crucial to avoid using aluminum foil or cookware made of aluminum.

The notion that a brown rice diet is healthy seems to have gained popularity among health-conscious individuals, but brown rice is one of the foods with the highest arsenic content. If you’re going to consume brown rice, I recommend opting for organic varieties and sprouting them when possible. Sprouting can increase the levels of GABA, which promotes calmness and better sleep, and it’s reported to remove over 80% of arsenic. Additionally, sprouted brown rice cooks up very soft and delicious, making it a great choice.

2. Bread (Wheat Flour)

When visiting Japan, I was surprised by the poor quality of bread. Bleached white bread not only negatively affects the brain but also rapidly raises blood sugar levels, contributing to diabetes.

Bread is generally unhealthy for two main reasons: gluten and the fact that modern wheat has undergone numerous hybridizations, resulting in altered and unnatural gluten and genes.

In particular, gluten is known to destroy the microbe closely related to brain and create holes in the intestines. It’s identified as the cause of celiac disease.

For those who regularly consume bread, reducing the quantity is recommended.

3. Vegetable Oils

While it’s already common knowledge in the health industry in the United States, vegetable oils are considered evil incarnate. They contribute to inflammation and are pointed out as the cause of most modern diseases such as diabetes, rheumatism, cancer, and heart diseases. Not only are vegetable oils highly processed, but options like soybean and corn oil are also often genetically modified (GMO) and have a high amount of omega-6 fatty acids, which can disrupt the balance with omega-3 and cause inflammation. Moreover, these oils are prone to oxidation, even in the bottle, and they have low smoke points, which means they become oxidized when used for frying or cooking, leading to cellular degradation.

Considering that about 60% of our brain is composed of fats, consuming bad fats can contribute to an unhealthy brain. Introducing inflammation and oxidative substances to the brain can lead to a decrease in its functions.

For vegetable oils, I recommend to use high-quality cold-pressed olive oil or coconut oil. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, which lower cholesterol and maintain cell health. On the other hand, coconut oil contains beneficial fats for the brain and has a high smoke point, making it suitable for frying and cooking without oxidation.

To begin with, I’ve shared three things that are commonly consumed in Japan, but in addition to these, refined sugar, tobacco, and alcohol are still substances that the Japanese should be cautious of.

Next time, I plan to introduce “The Best for the Brain.”