• Online Scheduling | Careers

Northeast Regional Medical Center
  • Quick Links
    • Find a Doctor
    • Services
      • Services

        • View All Services
        • Cancer Care
        • Diagnostic Imaging
        • Ear, Nose & Throat Care
        • Emergency Services
        • Heart Care
        • Maternity Care
        • Orthopedic Services
        • Rehabilitation Services
        • Robotic Surgery
        • Sleep Medicine
        • Sports Medicine
        • Surgical Services
        • Vascular Medicine
        • Women's Health
          • Patients & Visitors
            • For Patients

              • Patients & Visitors
              • Admissions
              • Campus Map
              • Care Card
              • DAISY Award Nominations
              • Events
              • Financial Information
              • Going Home
              • Health Library
              • Local Accommodations
              • Online Scheduling
              • Patient Portal
              • Request Medical Records
              • Spiritual Care
                • Careers
                • Locations
                  • Hospitals
                  • Outpatient Therapy
                • About
                  • About

                    • About Us
                    • Awards & Accreditations
                    • Careers
                    • Community Benefits
                    • Contact Us
                    • Hospital Tours
                    • Leadership
                    • Newsroom
                    • Phone Directory
                    • Quality & Safety
                    • Speaker Requests
                      • (660) 785-1000
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • Online Bill Pay
                      • Patient Portal
                      • Events
                      • Contact
                      • analog clock icon
                      • Avg ER Wait:
                        0Min

                        About ER Wait Times
                      Home/Patients & Visitors/Health Library/Foods that Help and Harm Brain Health

                      Refine Results

                      About Us
                      eNewsletter Redirect
                      Events
                      Events
                      Find a Doctor
                      Locations
                      Notice of Non-Discrimination
                      Patients & Visitors
                      Admissions
                      Campus Map
                      Care Card
                      DAISY Award Nominations
                      Events
                      Financial Information
                      Billing & Insurance
                      Billing & Registration FAQ
                      Eligibility Services
                      Financial Assistance Program
                      Medicare
                      Online Bill Pay
                      Patient Protections Against Surprise Billing
                      Price Information
                      Your Right to a Good Faith Estimate
                      Going Home
                      Health Library
                      Local Accommodations
                      Online Scheduling
                      Online Check-In FAQ
                      Patient Portal
                      Patient Portal FAQ
                      Request Medical Records
                      Spiritual Care
                      Services
                      • information
                      • news
                      • Avg ER Wait:
                        0Min

                        About ER Wait Times
                      • Directions

                        Find Our Location
                      • Northeast Regional Medical Center Recognized for Excellence with ACC Chest Pain Center Accreditation

                        04.28.2025

                      • Northeast Regional Medical Center Honors Physicians on National Doctors’ Day With Donations to Local Organization

                        04.11.2025

                      • See All News & Press Releases
                      • Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Sign Up For Our E-Newsletter

                        Featuring a monthly dose of information and inspiration for living well.

                        Learn More
                      • Mobile Device

                        Online Scheduling

                        Free, convenient online check-in services.

                        Learn More
                      • Nurse and Patient

                        Patient Portal

                        Access your medical information
                        on demand.

                        Learn More

                      Foods that Help and Harm Brain Health

                      For optimal brain function, strike these three foods from your diet:

                      1. Processed or pre-cooked foods. Processed foods tend to have more fat, sugar and preservatives than non-processed foods. In a Journal of Clinical Investigation study, researchers found that these high-fat foods can negatively impact the hypothalamus — the portion of the brain that regulates hunger and thirst levels. Because of this, you could wind up eating and drinking more processed foods, resulting in an unhealthy dietary pattern.
                      2. High-sugar foods. U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse study reported sugar-hooked brains change in similar ways as those addicted to cocaine and alcohol. Sugar addiction is linked to the surge of dopamine that floods the brain when you eat your favorite candy. High-sugar diets have also been connected with memory loss, dementia, Alzheimer's and brain fog.
                      3. Fried foods. Fried foods are high in cholesterol. According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a diet high in cholesterol may be linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers found that people with high LDL (bad) cholesterol and low HDL (good) cholesterol were more likely to have beta-amyloid proteins in their brains, a warning sign of Alzheimer's disease.

                      Research in the Alzheimer's & Dementia journal suggests a MIND diet for your brain. The MIND diet — whole grains, lean fish, chicken, vegetables, olive oil, nuts, berries, beans, leafy greens and wine — borrows from the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension diet (DASH). These targeted foods lowered participants' risk for Alzheimer's by up to 53% when included in regular meal plans. Ways to take this approach are to:

                      • Go green by adding kale or spinach to your morning smoothie, or eat a healthy salad for lunch with roasted chicken, walnuts, chickpeas, cooked quinoa and sliced strawberries on top.
                      • Include the occasional fish fillet like baked salmon with fresh lemon.
                      • Toss in a snack of almonds or walnuts for a mid-afternoon energy boost.
                      • Add a glass of wine with your final meal of the day.
                      • For additional brain power, try a blueberry smoothie. A study from Reading University revealed people experienced increased concentration and memory skills up to five hours after drinking one.

                      Want More Health Tips?

                      Sign up for our e-newsletter, Live Healthy, to receive a monthly dose of information and inspiration for living well.

                      Back

                      Northeast Regional Medical Center

                      • 315 S. Osteopathy | PO Box C8502
                      • Kirksville, MO 63501
                      • P: (660) 785-1000
                      • F: (660) 785-1110

                      • ADA Accessibility Policy
                      • Terms & Conditions
                      • Privacy Policy
                      • Change Your Privacy Choices
                      • Notice of Privacy Practices
                      • Patient Rights & Responsibilities
                      • Price Transparency

                      Copyright ©2025. All rights reserved.

                      Northeast Regional Medical Center is owned in part by physicians.

                      An AllianceHealth Oklahoma® hospital

                      Services

                      • Cancer Care
                      • Diagnostic Imaging
                      • Ear, Nose & Throat Care
                      • Emergency Services
                      • Heart Care
                      • Maternity Care
                      • Orthopedic Services
                      • Rehabilitation Services
                      • Robotic Surgery
                      • Sleep Medicine
                      • Sports Medicine
                      • Surgical Services
                      • Vascular Medicine
                      • Women's Health

                      Patients & Visitors

                      • Admissions
                      • Campus Map
                      • Care Card
                      • DAISY Award Nominations
                      • Events
                      • Financial Information
                      • Going Home
                      • Health Library
                      • Local Accommodations
                      • Online Scheduling
                      • Patient Portal
                      • Request Medical Records
                      • Spiritual Care

                      About Us

                      • Awards & Accreditations
                      • Careers
                      • Community Benefits
                      • Contact Us
                      • Hospital Tours
                      • Leadership
                      • Newsroom
                      • Phone Directory
                      • Quality & Safety
                      • Speaker Requests

                      Notice of Nondiscrimination
                      • English,
                      • አማርኛ,
                      • العربية,
                      • বাংলা,
                      • ျမန္မာဘာသာ,
                      • tsalagi gawonihisdi,
                      • 繁體中文,
                      • Chahta,
                      • Oroomiffa,
                      • Nederlands,
                      • Français,
                      • Kreyòl Ayisyen,
                      • Deutsch,
                      • ગુજરાતી,
                      • हिंदी,
                      • Hmoob,
                      • Igbo asusu,
                      • Ilokano,
                      • Italiano,
                      • 日本語,
                      • 한국어,
                      • Ɓàsɔ́ɔ̀‑wùɖù‑po‑nyɔ̀,
                      • ພາສາລາວ,
                      • Kajin Ṃajōḷ,
                      • ខ្មែរ,
                      • Diné Bizaad,
                      • नेपाली,
                      • Deitsch,
                      • فارسی,
                      • Polski,
                      • Português,
                      • ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
                      • Română,
                      • Русский,
                      • Gagana fa'a Sāmoa,
                      • Srpsko‑hrvatski,
                      • Español,
                      • ܣܘܼܪܸܬ݂,
                      • Tagalog,
                      • ภาษาไทย,
                      • Türkçe,
                      • Українська,
                      • اُردُو,
                      • Tiếng Việt,
                      • èdè Yorùbá,
                      • עִברִית
                      Loading... Loading...