Eating More of This Food May Help Counteract Eating Too Much Sugar
Mmmm, who doesn’t love cupcakes? And your daily Starbucks run? But if there’s one thing to take away from all the health reporting in the last few years, it’s that sugar is not that great for us. According to a new study put out by the University of California at Los Angeles, Americans consume up to 27lbs each of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) per year. That’s a lot of no-good stuff going into your body! HFCS is found in sweetened drinks, syrups, desserts and even some honey. But there might be one thing you can eat to counteract all the bad — more omega-3s!
You know omega-3’s as the fatty acids found in wild salmon, walnuts, flax seeds and some fruits and veggies, but scientists with the study found that a certain fatty acid (DHA) found in omega-3-rich foods can reverse the harmful effects of HFCS. While DHA naturally occurs in our brains, it’s not in a large enough quantity to combat all the bad stuff coming in.
DHA also helps with the parts of the brain that deal with learning and memory — so there really doesn’t seem to be a downside to adding a handful of flax seeds and walnuts to your oatmeal in the morning or topping that salad with a piece of wild salmon.
What are your favorite ways to work omega-3s into your diet? Tweet us your healthy ideas @BritandCo!
(Photo via Getty)