Popular Diets Harm Your Brain

Despite what popular diet plans promote, eating large amounts of proteins, including protein shakes or whey protein, can trigger a destructive reaction called immunoexcitotoxicity. When certain amino acids are allowed to accumulate in the brain, they interact with the brain’s immune system and trigger the reaction that causes a slow deterioration of the brain. (For more information, go here to read my book “Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills.")

One source for these toxic amino acids is our diet. Eating diets high in proteins, including protein shakes or whey protein, can trigger immunoexcitotoxicity.

Evidence suggests that bodybuilders who consume massive amounts of protein live shorter lives. This practice can lead to heart damage, kidney injury, and eventually damage to the brain, especially the hippocampus. By stimulating mTOR (a protein that regulates cell growth), it can also shorten one’s lifespan and promote cancer development.

Compelling evidence from laboratories all over the world indicates that we are eating too much food, especially harmful foods. The so-called “Western diet” is the biggest killer in the world, and more and more countries are adopting it.

Such a diet causes the cells and tissues in the body to rapidly age, especially in the brain. Certain areas of the brain, such as the hippocampus and parietal cortex, are vulnerable to a poor diet. These are the same areas affected in Alzheimer’s disease. Find more details on how you can keep your brain from the ravages of dementia by reading my report "Save Your Brain."

One of the important findings of studies both in humans and primates is that switching to low-protein, reduced-calorie diets dramatically reduces the major killers:

• Heart disease

• Cancer

• Diabetes

• Neurodegenerative diseases

This type of diet would spare people a life of misery and early death, and would save hundreds of billions of dollars in healthcare costs.

So, just how low does our calorie and protein intake have to be to reach this magic dietary goal? As a rough guideline, some experts suggest 1,800 to 2,200 calories for men and 1,600 to 2,000 calories for women engaged in moderate activity. (For information on low to lose weight safely, read my special report “The Fat Cure: Health Secrets to Losing Weight Permanently."

The mainstays of your diet should be:

• Nutrient-dense vegetables

• Some fruits (especially blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.)

• A moderate amount of low-glycemic carbohydrates

You should eat no more than 3 to 4 ounces of meat twice a day, and possibly less.

Organically raised chicken, turkey, and pork are better choices than red meats.

By combining moderate regular exercise (45 to 60 minutes at least four days a week), dietary restriction, and intellectual stimulation, one can greatly enhance health and longevity. My report "Stop Aging Naturally" gives more in-depth ways to slow the relentless march of time.