Fat, Fish, and Intelligence

Alzheimer’s disease isn’t the only thing meat-eaters need to keep in mind when it comes to mental health. New research from the University of Toronto shows that high-fat diets like the typical Western diet of meat and dairy products starve the brain of its energy supply. Researchers believe that high-fat diets may hinder normal brain function by promoting insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is also a precursor to diabetes, another disease that has been linked to meat consumption.

Carbohydrates, on the other hand, effectively boost memory and brain function. Researchers have discovered that a breakfast consisting of mashed potatoes or barley can improve one’s memory. A diet lacking in carbohydrates essentially cuts off the brain’s main energy supply, which is sugar. Additionally, a scarcity of carbohydrates can impede the production of acetylcholine, a chemical involved in transmitting nerve signals in the brain. Most nutrition experts recommend diets rich in carbohydrate sources, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, to promote overall health and maintain a proper weight.

Maintaining a proper weight is also important to mental health. A recent study has proved that obesity can actually lower one’s intelligence. Experts say that obesity may damage brain function by making it harder for blood to reach the brain, similar to high blood pressure and heart disease. Additionally, social and psychological factors associated with obesity and overeating, such as depression and anxiety, may also be the cause of the decline in brain function seen in obese people.

The fact that obesity lowers intelligence is especially disturbing considering that nearly one in five American adults are obese—that means that more than 52 million adults in this country might be suffering from impaired mental functioning. To make matters worse, we are facing an obesity epidemic in this country among both adults and children. And kids in the U.S. are getting fatter for the same reasons that adults are getting fatter: The typical American diet, which emphasizes animal foods, is high in fat and cholesterol and is the major cause of obesity. In contrast, vegetarians are much less likely to be obese than their meat-eating counterparts.

Sadly, this obesity epidemic may be affecting our children’s mental health. Kids who are overweight not only suffer from the psychological trauma associated with lack of peer acceptance, but may be suffering other mental challenges as a result of their meaty diets. According to research published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the average I.Q. of American children is 99, while the average I.Q. of American vegetarian kids is 116.

Dieters who have replaced beef, pork, and chicken with fish are not immune to the stupefying effects of eating dead animals. Mercury poisoning from eating fish can also cause fatigue and memory loss, which is often called “fish fog.” Around the world, fish are accumulating toxic mercury in their flesh as a result of industrial pollution. This methyl mercury is known to cause severe health problems for humans who eat fish, including brain damage, memory loss, personality change, tremors, spontaneous abortion, and damage to developing fetuses. Read more about how fish affect human health.

The easiest way to slim down for physical and mental health is to adopt a vegetarian diet. Plant-based foods are naturally low in fat and deadly toxins and are cholesterol-free. On average, vegetarians are 10 percent leaner than their meat-eating counterparts, and vegans (vegetarians who don’t eat dairy products or eggs) weigh 12 to 20 pounds less than both vegetarians and meat-eaters. So for your own peace of mind and for your kids’, please go vegetarian. Request a free vegetarian starter kit today!