The Western diet is everywhere -- fast, processed and packed with red meats, junk foods, sugars and saturated fats, while lacking fresh vegetables, grains and seafood.
It is cheap, convenient, addictive and linked to all kinds of physical problems, including heart disease, immune system damage and inflammation.
But food shapes more than the body -- it shapes the mind in all kinds of ways.
The Western diet rewires the brain, altering thoughts, mood and memory --even increasing the risk of mental illness.
Here are 12 ways the typical Western diet is affecting both mind and brain.
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Author: Dr Jeremy Dean
Psychologist, Jeremy Dean, PhD is the founder and author of PsyBlog. He holds a doctorate in psychology from University College London and two other advanced degrees in psychology. He has been writing about scientific research on PsyBlog since 2004. View all posts by Dr Jeremy Dean