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I’m a neurologist—to keep my brain safe and healthy, I never eat these 4 foods
CNBC ^ | August 05, 2025 | Dr. Baibing Chen, Contributor

Posted on 08/06/2025 7:54:12 AM PDT by Red Badger

Doctors will often tell you to avoid processed foods or foods that contain high amounts of sugar or saturated fat.

Their advice is sound, since consuming these foods frequently can increase your risk of developing chronic diseases, including neurological conditions like stroke and dementia.

However, as a neurologist, I can tell you that there are some other surprising and lesser-known foods you should avoid in order to prevent serious neurological issues.

I never eat these four foods:

1. Canned foods that appear damaged

If a can is bulging, cracked, or severely dented, it should raise an alarm. It might be a sign of botulinum contamination, which can cause botulism.

The botulinum toxin is one of the most potent neurotoxins known to science. It blocks the release of a neurotransmitter that helps your brain tell your muscles to move. The result can be limb paralysis, blurred vision, and, in severe cases, respiratory failure. Without an antidote, botulism can be fatal.

What makes this toxin particularly dangerous is that you can’t detect it by smell, taste, or sight. Unfortunately, heating the food in a contaminated can may not be enough to neutralize the toxin.

Remember this motto: “When in doubt, throw it out.”

2. Certain reef fish, especially in tropical areas

I love eating fish and I encourage my patients to consume varieties like salmon, sardines, and trout, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in mercury.

However, I advise caution when it comes to larger tropical fish such as barracuda, grouper, sturgeon, moray eel, and amberjack. They may contain a neurotoxin called ciguatoxin, especially if they were caught in places with coral reefs like the Caribbean and the South Pacific.

I’ve personally seen a few cases of ciguatera poisoning, and symptoms can include a sensation of coldness, burning, tingling, dizziness, or even vivid nightmares. Because some of these symptoms are non-specific, it can be easily misdiagnosed, especially without a detailed patient history.

The kicker is that ciguatoxin is heat-stable, meaning that no matter how long you cook the fish, the toxin remains intact. And like the botulinum toxin, it doesn’t have a taste or smell.

Try to limit your intake of large predatory fish, avoid certain parts like liver, roe, and heads, and be particularly cautious in endemic areas.

3. Uncooked or undercooked pork

The risk here is neurocysticercosis, a condition caused by ingesting the eggs of the pork tapeworm. The tapeworm’s larvae can travel to the brain and cause a variety of symptoms, including seizures, increased intracranial pressure, and even dementia-like symptoms. Brain imaging typically shows multiple cysts in the person’s brain.

Neurocysticercosis is one of the leading causes of acquired epilepsy worldwide. And while it isn’t very common in developed countries, I have seen cases in the U.S.

So if you travel frequently to or spend significant time in developing countries — or anywhere with poor sanitation — cook pork thoroughly and practice good hand hygiene.

4. Unpasteurized milk

When milk is pasteurized, it’s treated with heat to eliminate microorganisms that can cause disease. The process does reduce the concentrations of certain vitamins, but the impact is minimal.

Raw milk, on the other hand, is a well-recognized source of pathogens such as listeria, E. coli, and salmonella. Drinking it causes approximately 840 times more illnesses and 45 times more hospitalizations than pasteurized milk, despite being consumed by a small minority of the population.

Current data shows that children, pregnant women, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals are at highest risk for severe outcomes, including hemolytic uremic syndrome, miscarriage, and death.

I’ve personally seen cases of irreversible damage to the brain leading to seizures, meningitis, and coma that were caused by pathogens from unpasteurized products.

And claims that drinking unpasteurized milk lowers rates of asthma, cancer, or lactose intolerance? Those are unsubstantiated.

Of course, you should always consult with a health care professional before making any drastic changes to your diet. The key is to be more mindful and aware of what we put into our bodies, especially if it can be damaging to our brain health.

Baibing Chen is a double-boarded certified neurologist and epileptologist practicing at the University of Michigan. Find him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

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VIDEO at link..................


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Food; Health/Medicine; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: baibingchen; food; processed; trichinosis
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To: Red Badger

The doctor left out one of the most important things to avoid:

NBC-CBS-ABC-MSLSD-CNN-NYTIMES-WASHPOST and any other entity that qualifies as The Drive-By Media.


21 posted on 08/06/2025 8:34:57 AM PDT by Ronaldus Magnus III (Do, or do not, there is no try - AND - Every Time You Fall Down, Get The Frak Up! )
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To: Red Badger

And keep out of Cincinnati


22 posted on 08/06/2025 8:35:44 AM PDT by daku
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To: Red Badger
I thought it was going to be this guy, who pops up on web pages all over the place, like a herpes outbreak:


23 posted on 08/06/2025 8:39:27 AM PDT by Sicon ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - G. Orwell)
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To: ansel12

I only scuba dive with a partner.

I was shocked to learn while in Roatan a couple of years ago that PADI has a certification for people who dive alone. WTH?? I got certified PADI/NAUI/YMCA 42 years ago and the cardinal rule was always NEVER DIVE ALONE.


24 posted on 08/06/2025 8:45:02 AM PDT by jagusafr ( )
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To: Red Badger

Unpasteurized milk.

Don’t the Amish drink unpasteurized milk?

They seem pretty healthy.


25 posted on 08/06/2025 8:46:45 AM PDT by Mr. N. Wolfe
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To: Mr. N. Wolfe

BRAVE AI:
Amish Raw Milk
Many Amish individuals do drink unpasteurized milk, but it is not accurate to say that all Amish people consume it, and some choose not to due to health risks. Raw milk consumption is part of traditional Amish farming practices, and some Amish farmers sell unpasteurized dairy products.
However, even within Amish communities, practices vary—some Amish farmers obtain state permits for raw milk sales, while others avoid regulation due to religious or cultural objections.

Notably, some Amish individuals and those familiar with Amish farms caution against regular consumption of raw milk. For example, a milk truck driver who collects from both Amish and non-Amish farms stated he would never drink large amounts of raw milk or allow his children to consume it, citing the risk of contamination even on clean farms.
Similarly, not all Amish people drink raw milk; some avoid it due to awareness of potential pathogens.

Raw milk carries health risks, as harmful bacteria like Listeria and E. coli can be present even with good hygiene.
These risks have led to outbreaks linked to Amish-produced raw dairy products, including a 2014 Listeria outbreak tied to an Amish farm’s milk that resulted in hospitalizations and a fatality.
Despite these dangers, some consumers, including members of buyers’ clubs, seek out Amish raw milk for its perceived taste and health benefits, believing it to be more natural and nutritious.
However, scientific evidence does not support claims that raw milk is significantly more nutritious or safer than pasteurized milk.


26 posted on 08/06/2025 8:51:08 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

[[3. Uncooked or undercooked pork ]]

OK so what is ‘undercooked pork’? anything below 165? or the new guideline of 145? (Since trichinosis is almost completely eradicated in domestic pork evidently)

Used to be we had to eat pork cooked to hockey puck toughness- but they’ve recently lowered the temp guideline because of how pork is raised now which has eliminated, or mostly so anyways, trichinosis-


27 posted on 08/06/2025 8:52:33 AM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: TexasGator

Bingo! I knew those also except everyone where I lived drank raw milk. We had a neighbor on the High Plains who sold us raw milk.
Dad loved it always bragged about it. After drinking a glass and bragging about how good it tasted mom showed him a mouse “calling card” In the bottom of the jar. He lost it as he had a very weak stomach.


28 posted on 08/06/2025 8:52:55 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar ( )
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To: jagusafr

As a solo 10 day type backpacker and solo (small time) climber, solo white guy in a black bar, and such, I understand the attraction of solo diving, it is easier to die, but then again, you can dive when you want and live your own life, without being overly concerned about when and where you will die.


29 posted on 08/06/2025 8:53:18 AM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: Bob434

“Used to be we had to eat pork cooked to hockey puck toughness...”

My wife still does that............hard to break old habits, because she was raised on wild hog...........


30 posted on 08/06/2025 8:56:00 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Mr. N. Wolfe

except for the ones who aren’t healthy and they can’t figure out why-


31 posted on 08/06/2025 8:56:04 AM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: Red Badger

1. Canned foods that appear damaged

Dd remembered a 1930s Hispanic family on the High Plains who all died from improperly canned hot peppers.


32 posted on 08/06/2025 8:56:56 AM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar ( )
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

Back m in the day one of my teachers had a dairy farm.

Took the class on a field trip there. We milked cows, made butter and drank fresh milk.


33 posted on 08/06/2025 8:57:01 AM PDT by TexasGator (1There is no Sharknado system)
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To: Red Badger

Thanks.


34 posted on 08/06/2025 8:57:25 AM PDT by Mr. N. Wolfe
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To: Ruy Dias de Bivar

That still happens occasionally..............


35 posted on 08/06/2025 8:57:26 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

“My wife still does that............hard to break old habits,”

Amen


36 posted on 08/06/2025 8:57:54 AM PDT by TexasGator (1There is no Sharknado system)
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To: Red Badger

But Dr.: “Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts are edible”.


37 posted on 08/06/2025 8:59:43 AM PDT by kawhill ("What's that? Conductant. A little dab'll do ya, isnt that right Mr. Jackson?")
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To: TexasGator

A few years back a bunch of Haitians got trichinosis from eating undercooked pork they illegally raised in their backyards down in Miami-Dade..................


38 posted on 08/06/2025 9:01:42 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

Yes it is hard to break- we ate that way for several decades- hard to cook it under 165- the brain rebels when under that lol

I went to souse vide cooking, and suppsoedly you can cook chicken to any temp above 125 IF it’s kept at the temp for certain amount of time (It’s the time that kills the pathogens apparently), but i never ventured to try it-


39 posted on 08/06/2025 9:05:33 AM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: Red Badger

I remember that story- also- folks who eat bear face the same risks- and of course wild pork- but my question is, if domestic pigs suppsoedly don’t have trichinosis because they stopped feeding animal parts in their food, then why do wild pigs still get it? (Maybe they feed on dead animals?)


40 posted on 08/06/2025 9:07:37 AM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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