The human brain is composed of 60% fat [1].
Your brain holds about 25% of your body’s cholesterol to keep its neural function and data transmission active [2].
The brain turns cholesterol into vitamin D, which is a vital component for neural growth.
The more neural activities you can assure in your brain, the healthier will it remain with age.
A healthy brain is protective against panic, trauma, and stress. It deals with difficult situations better than an unhealthy brain.
Many people have a misconception that fat is completely bad for your health and heart. But there are some types of fat that are healthy for your heart and brain both.
You have to ensure those healthy fats are included in your daily diet.
In this article, we are going to explore some of the authentic sources of healthy fat that are absorbed by the brain for its constant functionality.
Continue reading this article to know more.
Ensure Your Brain’s Proper Functionality with These 4 Healthy Fats
Among various fats from different sources, you must select the healthy fats that are good for your brain.
Below are 4 healthy fats that contribute to your brain’s vital functions:
1. Monounsaturated Fat
If you want to keep the blood flow to your brain on and let it work actively, you may want to add monounsaturated fat to your diet [3].
Ensuring regular blood flow to your brain makes it act without any clots or any risk of stroke. This means you can use your brain to fight difficult situations more productively.
Avocado and nuts are good sources of monounsaturated fat [4]. Add this to your regular diet to ensure a healthy brain function.
2. Polyunsaturated Fat
Polyunsaturated fat contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are vital to keep our brain function active.
According to studies, a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids protects your brain from major depression and anxieties [5].
Since your brain cannot produce these fatty acids by itself, it is necessary to ensure the intake of certain diets that can supply your brain with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids are mostly found in fishes such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc. [6].
Avocados, vegetable seeds, nuts, etc. are also sources of healthy unsaturated fat.
3. DHA
DHA or Docosahexaenoic Acid is one type of omega-3 fatty acid [7].
It takes care of your brain’s regular active functions such as memory, motor neuron skills, and speaking.
The deficiency of DHA can make you prone to depression, anxiety, ADHD, or bipolar disorder [8].
Regular intake of DHA shall save you from these neural health risks.
4. Healthy Saturated Fat
Saturated fat is highly important for brain function.
You should add saturated fat intake to your regular diet. Saturated fat is one of the most vital components of the brain, which aids it to work properly.
Many claims that saturated fat can help in reducing dementia but opposite claims exist in this matter too [9]
Saturated fat could be beneficial for your liver and overall immunity system.
Coconut oil is an obvious source of healthy saturated fat. You may add this as a healthy cooking ingredient to your dishes.
Carefulness You Should Maintain
Things you should keep in mind:
- Don’t eat any of the facts stated above in high amounts. Overconsumption can deteriorate your brain’s health.
- Keep daily, weekly, or monthly fat diet courses for yourself and your family.
- Eat your healthy fat diet moderately and consult your physician or health expert for knowing what fat is safe for your brain according to your age.
Endnote
There is a thin line between good fat and bad fat for a healthy brain- and that is finding reliable sources of unprocessed fat.
Unprocessed fat is safer for your brain function as they contain no synthetic element for enhancing nutritional value. It is wise to provide your brain with a natural and pure fat diet.
You should consult with your doctor for authentic instructions to choose the right source and amount of fat for your brain, heart, and overall health. Unsupervised intake of fat may hamper your organs such as the eyes, liver, kidneys, etc. adversely.
You should also eat those foods that are good for your heart because there is a saying that a healthy heart is connected to a healthy brain.
