| The cells of your brain, cells that determine your intelligence, heartbeat, muscular movements, subconscious, and consciousness, are made entirely out of fat. In recent years there has been much focus on the amount of fat we should eat and what form that fat should take. In the 1980s, many people steered their diets toward very low or no-fat foods. However, when you lower a food's fat content, you usually lose taste unless you add sugar. During this era, the food industry came out with thousands of fat-free foods, and in some cases the fat-free foods had more calories than the full-fat versions due to added sugar. Studies conducted within that period indicated that the incidence of obesity increased despite the large number of fat-free foods.
Most nutritional authorities are now focusing on the type of fats in our food, and emphasizing increased consumption of healthy fats, most of which fall into the category of omega-3 fatty acids. Among the bad fats that we should decrease our intake of are trans-fatty acids, produced during chemical processing. Studies show a link between the amounts of trans-fatty acids ingested and the risk for heart disease. They are also thought to cause inflammation and contribute to brain cell damage as we age.
Other "bad fats" include omega-6 fatty acids, which comprise 60 percent of the total fatty acids in corn oil. Corn oil and other high omega-6 vegetable oils are found throughout the American food supply in foods such as margarine, mayonnaise, most processed foods, fried foods, and vegetable oils.
Omega-3 fatty acids, or "good fats," are found in plants and fish. They are anti-inflammatory and thus help protect the heart and the brain.
The Inuit Eskimos of northern Canada and Greenland obtain up to two thirds of daily calories from fat by eating a traditional diet of fish and seal blubber. The high level of omega-3 fats in their fish diet protects them against heart disease. More critical than the exact amount of omega-3 fats in the diet is the need to balance the amount of omega-3 with the amount of omega-6 fats. The traditional Inuit diet contains about 1 portion of omega-3 fat for every 3 portions of omega-6 fat, compared with the typical American diet's one portion of omega-3s for every 20 portions of omega-6s. Traditional healthy diets such as the Mediterranean Diet have a ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 of about 1 to 3. Olive oil has very low levels of Omega-6 and is a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acid. While this oil is brain healthy, it still adds calories to the diet, so you have to be careful with how much you add to your foods. Your brain will be happy with olive oil, as it will help keep the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids low, and it is the ratio that is most important in controlling inflammation in the brain.
In addition, some studies have found that people from different part of the world who eat diets low in animal fat have a lower risk for developing hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and dementia. This is the case for certain African countries where the people eat diets consisting of yams, palm oil, and a small amount of fish, when compared with African Americans who eat the typical high animal fat American diet.
Some popular high protein/low carbohydrate diets, such as the Atkins Diet, promote a considerable intake of meat and other animal products, which can be very rich in omega-6 fatty acids. The way in which these fats negatively affect brain functions is believed to involve a combination of influences on brain circulation, inflammation, and cell development and regeneration.
Health scientists and dieticians point out that by cutting back on whole grains, fruits and vegetables, the Atkins Diet limits important sources of minerals, vitamins, and fibers, and may negatively affect cholesterol and cardiovascular health.
The danger from diets high in omega-6 fats is that it may contribute to chronic brain inflammation, a possible underlying mechanism in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Omega-6 fatty acids may also impair memory through their affects on the hormone insulin. Laboratory animals that are fed omega-6 fats have greater difficulty learning and getting through mazes. In addition, their brain cells show fewer branches or dendrites.
Eating omega-6 fats also increase risk for insulin resistance-insulin becomes less effective in getting glucose into cells, putting people at greater risk for the memory impairments associated with diabetes. Fortunately, diet-related insulin resistance can be reversed and controlling diabetes with diet, weight loss or drugs can improve memory as well as learning ability.
Other benefits of the omega-3 fatty acids is that it reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke and help to keep brain-cell membranes soft and flexible. Omega-3 fatty acids come from foods such as ocean-caught fish, shrimp, scallops, and lobster. Fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat, but have a good ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. You can add omega-3 fatty acids by eating foods rich in these fatty acids or you can take fish oil supplement capsules. Since we generally get sufficient omega-6 fats in our diet, the challenge is to eat more omega-3s for improved brain and general health.
In general, substituting omega-3 fats for omega-6 fats not only protects the brain, but it can help us to control appetite and lose weight. It has been found that people who dipped their bread in olive oil eat less bread compared to people who spread butter on their bread. This is because olive oil tends to satisfy us more and this leads to less bread (carbohydrate) being consumed. In addition to helping us lose weight, it is also healthier for our brains.
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