Your diet impacts more than just your waistline. As it turns out, the foods you eat and the beverages you drink each day are crucial to every aspect of your wellbeing—including that of your brain. While there are plenty of fantastic, brain-boosting beverages you can start sipping on to improve your cognitive function, you may also want to consider cutting out a few of your favorite drinks.
That’s right: Unfortunately, certain beverages could lead to issues when it comes to memory, mood, and focus—potentially even increasing your risk of diseases such as Alzheimer’s. According to experts, sugar-packed soda and energy drinks are two to avoid. Learn more about the risks of each below.
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1. Sugary Soda
It may be delicious, but unfortunately, drinking soda comes with risks, including the fact that it can mess with your mental health and brain over time. The high sugar content causes blood sugar spikes and crashes, which can lead to mood swings and increased anxiety. Over time, the habit of drinking sodas can impact your insulin levels, making it harder for your brain to stay sharp and contributing to long-term memory issues.
Veronica West, psychologist and founder of My Thriving Mind, states, "The ultimate sugar bomb, sodas send your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride. Sure, you get a quick energy boost, but soon after comes the crash, leaving your brain foggy and your anxiety up. It’s like telling your brain, 'Let’s sprint!' only to make it trip over itself moments later."
2. Energy Drinks
In moderate amounts, the caffeine in energy drinks can enhance focus and energy. However, in large doses (which is the amount added in many energy drinks), it can lead to overstimulation of the nervous system, causing symptoms of anxiety such as nervousness, irritability, restlessness, and heart palpitations.
Dr. Michael O. McKinney, physician at Healthy Outlook, says, "Caffeine, when taken in large quantities, can cause anxiety and disturb healthy sleep, which over the long term reduces brain intelligence levels. All these have been made possible by the high sugar content in most energy drinks; this leads to insulin resistance, which plays a vital role in enhanced cognitive degradation."
Choose benefit-packed green tea instead! Your brain will thank you.
READ MORE: The Brain-Healthy Habits Health And Food Experts Swear By For A Sharper Mind And Better Sleep
