Food Chemicals and Your Brain Part 2

By Rosemarie D. Rose, MD

Steinmetz Integrative & Functional Medicine Center

More Complementary & Integrative Healthcare Articles

Food Chemicals and Your Brain Part 2

Part 2

The adage, “You are what you eat,” is especially true when it comes to the chemicals in our food. Last month, we explored aspartame and monosodium glutamate's negative effects on your brain. This month, we will look at high fructose corn syrup, genetically modified organisms (or GMOs), dyes and preservatives.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Let's start with high fructose corn syrup. Unfortunately, finding products without high fructose corn syrup has become nearly impossible. For example, I recently saw sushi at a local supermarket that had it listed as an ingredient.

There are two issues with high fructose corn syrup. The first is how it affects the brain, especially the area called the hippocampus, which is responsible for long and short term memory as well as our navigation skills and knowing where we are in a space.

Studies have shown that high fructose corn syrup, because of how it affects insulin, can alter this very important area of the brain. It also decreases your brain's plasticity or ability to repair.

The second issue with high fructose corn syrup is how it's manufactured mercury is used in the process. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration calculated that given the reported average daily consumption of 49.8 grams of corn syrup per person, the average daily total of mercury exposure could be up to 28.4 grams per person.

Genetically Modified Organisms

GMOs have been genetically altered so when Roundup, an herbicide, is sprayed, only weeds are killed. This means that when you eat a genetically modified food, there's a chance it has Roundup or other herbicide on it.

Roundup has been implicated in Parkinson's disease, neurobehavioral problems in children and other neurological diseases.

Glycophosphate type herbicides, like Roundup, have been shown to be toxic by affecting our ability to rid our body of toxins and endocrine disrupters (basically, they mess up our hormones).

Unfortunately, under current laws, manufacturers are not required to label these modified foods. What we do know is that most of our corn and soy crop falls into this category.

Dyes and Preservatives

What about dyes and preservatives? There is evidence that children with certain genetic predispositions can become hyperactive when consuming dyes and preservatives.

While the U.S. government has not issued a warning about these chemicals, the U.K. Food Standards Agency has made the following determination “Research funded by the FSA has suggested that consumption of mixes of certain artificial colors and the preservative sodium benzoate could be linked to increased hyperactivity in some children. The artificial colors are sunset yellow FCF (E110), quinoline yellow (E104), carmoisine (E122), allura red (E129), tartrazine (E102) [and] ponceau 4R (E124).”

On your next grocery store trip, think about your brain and nervous system. Save your brain by reading labels. Nourish your brain with only whole real foods. If we stop buying products that damage our brains, manufacturers will stop putting the brain toxins in our food. Have a healthy, nutritious Memorial Day holiday.