When it comes to brain health, most of us know the basic rules: eat more leafy greens, avoid overindulging on sugary foods, and get plenty of omega-3s in your daily diet. But what about the more surprising foods we should be avoiding? According to neuroscientist Dr. Robert Love, there are certain everyday foods that might be quietly sabotaging your cognitive function. And one of them is often marketed as a healthy choice.
“I’m a neuroscientist and I have a medical clinic in Florida where we are reversing Alzheimer’s in our patients,” Dr. Love explains in a recent Instagram reel. In the video, he shares three foods he recommends avoiding to protect brain health: oat milk, Skittles, and even tuna. Find the details on his warnings below.
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1. Oat Milk
The first food Dr. Love calls out might be surprising, especially to those of us who like a splash of it in our coffee every morning: oat milk. "A lot of people are adding this to coffee but it’s really not good for them," he says. "Oat milk is basically sugar water. It’s a ton of carbohydrates and no fiber. So this can spike your insulin, spike your blood glucose, increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and that is terrible for your brain." Instead, Dr. Love suggests almond milk or coconut milk as brain-friendlier alternatives.
2. Skittles
The second culprit is less surprising but still worth noting: Skittles. "According to research, Skittles are actually the worst food for your blood glucose," Dr. Love explains. "They spike your insulin and spike your blood glucose more than any other food." In addition to all the health risks of excessive sugar intake, artificial colors like Red 40 and Yellow 5 add another layer of concern. “These things are really bad for you and hopefully they’re getting banned soon in the U.S.,” he says, noting that many of these additives are already banned in Europe.
3. Tuna
Finally, the most surprising item on Dr. Love’s list: tuna. While often seen as a healthy, protein-packed source of healthy fats, tuna can be risky due to mercury contamination. "Tony Robbins actually got mercury poisoning from tuna," Dr. Love shares. "Tuna is really a healthy fatty fish that’s got great fat for your brain. But because of the current state of our oceans tuna can be high in mercury and that mercury can be very damaging for your brain. In fact, high levels of mercury is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease." Instead, he recommends swapping tuna for SMASH fish—salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring—which deliver brain-healthy fats without the same mercury risk.
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