Healing Your Brain Without DInging Your DNA
We are learning that certain foods can help us heal, and others can actually cause gene mutations!
Nutritional neuroscience is the formal study of “the intricate relationships between dietary intake, brain function, and mental health.” The research in this field has found that “The gut-brain axis plays a critical role in the modulation of neuroinflammation and mood regulation, where diet affects the microbiota composition and, consequently, mental health outcomes.” (Source)
It’s exciting that this multidisciplinary field of nutritional neuroscience is confirming what those in natural health have been saying for decades. To have good brain health, we need to address the health of the microbiome in the gut. Healthy fats, fermented foods, and whole foods play a key role in creating a healthy gut-brain relationship. Avoiding processed foods, sugar-containing foods, and denatured oils is also key to enjoying a healthy brain and microbiome.
This information is important for all of us – children and adults. It’s vitally important for anyone diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, or other chronic health conditions.
ENJOY: Diets that contain healthy fats have been proven to be key to healthy brain function and mental health. Healthy fats would include pure unrefined olive oil; organic unrefined coconut oil; 100% grass-fed butter, tallow, and ghee; and high-quality cod liver oil or fermented cod liver oil.
AVOID: A diet that promotes good overall health and mental health eliminates or avoids highly processed, denatured fats, like corn oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, canola oil, and vegetable oil. All of which are MegaTrans oils. Also, avoid other processed foods containing processed flour, starch, and sugar in its many forms.
I have been working my way through a book called Deep Nutrition, written by Dr. Catherine Shanahan, MD. This book would be a good read for those who are into more genuine science-based nutritional information to support your health.
In her book, Dr. Shanahan spends a lot of time talking about all of the damaging effects of the processed, denatured oils that I have mentioned. She uses the term MegaTrans oils to describe the group of harmful processed oils that are damaging our DNA. She asserts that “vegetable oil toxins ‘ding’ your DNA, like hailstones pockmarking your car.” This kind of damage leads to gene mutations. (pg. 204, Deep Nutrition) Gene mutations such as these, are often associated with autism spectrum disorders and and they could also lead to the malformation of various organs and their function.
This type of genetic mutation is considered a de novo mutation because the mutation is present in a child, but not in either parent. These de novo mutations are believed to contribute to the development of autism spectrum disorders, and they likely play a role in many other organ malformations that children may be born with.
Low-fat processed food products contain harmful fats, and they typically have a high sugar content to make them taste better due to the yucky taste of the MegaTrans oils. We want to avoid these man-made oils and sugar-laden foods if we want to prevent brain degeneration and support greater brain function.
When reading food labels, watch for oils like hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil, soybean oil, canola oil, corn oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, rice bran, grapeseed oil, and vegetable oil. Avoid them. At a restaurant, you can ask that your food be fried in butter to avoid these troublesome oils. At home, make your own salad dressing using a good-quality olive oil or kefir as a base.
In addition to low-fat food products containing harmful DNA-dinging oils, they often contain many forms of processed sugar. Avoid foods containing sucrose, fructose, dextrose, maltose, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, cane sugar, rice sugar, brown sugar, confectioner’s sugar, powdered sugar, malt syrup, invert sugar, or other ingredients ending with the letters -ose. These are all forms of processed sugar to watch out for on food product labels.
The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) fits quite nicely into this. The SCD allows for the consumption of fruits and honey. On this diet, products that contain grains and sugar of any other form are not allowed. There have been cases of autism being reversed following this type of diet. Yes, you read that right. Autism diagnosis was reversed after 17 months of following the SCD diet. So exciting! (Source)
We know that this level of success may not be experienced by all children on the autism spectrum, but the power of nutrition in healing cannot be understated. You cannot out-supplement a bad diet. One of the absolute best ways to save money on supplements is to clean up our diets. Personalized nutrition with carefully sourced food and targeted supplement programs is very effective when implemented consistently over time.
We can save more money by not buying chips, breads, crackers, cookies, granola bars, “protein” bars, artificial whipped cream, and artificial coffee creamers that contain any of the harmful oils. Instead, we can purchase wholesome grass-fed beef, lamb, and bison; unprocessed organic cheeses and dairy products; and butter from grass-fed cows. We can get lots of veggies and fruits in season. And we can enjoy adding all kinds of seasonings to jazz up our food and gain additional nutrients.
To look well, feel well, and think well, we need to fill our tanks with real food, not highly processed versions of food-like products. Many processed food products are advertised as health foods, yet they are devoid of nutrition and contain potentially harmful chemical ingredients. They really aren’t food at all. They are more of a chemical concoction.
Isn’t it awesome that the foods we need are available without environmentally intensive processes? God has created and provided simple, wholesome food for us from animals nourished in pastures and food grown in naturally fertile soil.
I pray that this inspires you to start taking action to avoid more of the harmful food products and enjoy the highly beneficial and potentially healing effects of organically grown whole food nutrition. The more you eat whole foods prepared with yummy seasonings and good fats, the less you may crave sweet, not-so-beneficial treats.
Now we know how harmful oils like corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, and vegetable oil are for us and our DNA. We could literally be causing genetic mutations by what we eat. Let’s try not to “ding” our DNA, and let’s make changes in our diets to support our health and the health of the next generation.
Guys, this is serious. In her book, Dr. Shanahan shares, “The reason children born to older fathers are more likely to develop autism is that de novo mutations accumulate in a man’s sperm-producing cells as he ages…” (pg. 205, Deep Nutrition) She also shares that vegetable oils “essentially speed up the aging process of the brain.” (pg. 204, Deep Nutrition) We can see the implications of this with all types of cognitive decline and age-related conditions. No bueno!
It keeps coming back to eating foods that God has provided for us. Not the food products that powerful marketing says are better for us than what God has made.
Thank you, Dr. Shanahan, for sharing this info with us. Now, please pass the butter! :)
Blessings in your healing journey,
-Anita
Disclaimer: All information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or give prognosis for any disease, ailment, or disorder. Always do your own research to determine the facts for yourself.
