What Fats Does Your Brain Eat?

Did you know that the brain is made up of a lot of fat? Scientist Raquel Marin tells us about the fats we need to eat for healthy brains.

The brain is the most fatty organ in the body along with the fat that we have under the skin. However, fat in the brain is not primarily used as a source of energy but is an integral part of its structure. As a result, your brain never gets thinner and your head stays the same size when you lose weight.

The deficiency of essential fats in the brain is enough to reduce its vital functions in the medium term. Some of the fatty components that the brain and nerves need need to be incorporated into the diet. Are you sufficiently informed about the essential fats to consume to maintain a healthy brain?

People need to eat better and get more fat in their diet

The human brain is about 10 to 20 times the size proportionally compared to other mammals such as the whale or the elephant. As a result, our brain expends more or less 600 calories per day (30% of the total daily kilocalories of an average adult). Specifically,  we have the largest and most developed gray matter in the entire animal kingdom which has grown dramatically in record time.

Along with this brain development, humans have developed abstract thinking, imagination, reflection, introspection and the “imaginary world”. How to explain this impressive evolution which transformed our intellect into what we are today?

2 important points stand out in particular: cooking food as well as richer and more varied nutrition.

Cooking food reduces digestion time and the energy required for restless chewing to digest a large amount of fiber, collagen, and cartilage. By decreasing chewing time, we can also improve memory and cognitive ability. The size of the intestine has also been shortened and the intestinal bacterial flora has become richer and more varied.

The benefits of animal protein

On the other hand,  the incorporation of animal proteins in the diet (soil and water) made it possible to accelerate the development and growth of brain volume. German neuroscientist Karl Zilles claims that the weight of the human brain of Europeans has increased by around 70 grams in the last century thanks to better nutrition. The pleasure of eating well also brings many benefits such as social activity and the pleasure of the senses. Without a doubt, a well-nourished belly exalts the intellect!

But that’s not all. Some sociologists and anthropologists claim that the consumption of coastal products  (fish, crustaceans, shellfish, seaweed and even turtles and crocodiles)  has increased our intelligence as well as our social skills  by creating more complex societies. Indeed, the first great civilizations in our history settled on the banks of rivers or the sea.

One of the reasons for the development of intelligence lies in the incorporation of one of the fats most sought after by the brain: unsaturated fats in abundance in fish oils.

Without fat, the brain would be dumb

The brain functions as a huge center of operations. It manages a huge database, processes it, and in many cases it sends responses and reactions within a wide range of possibilities.

Brain fat is one of the essential parameters for neurons to be able to communicate with each other. And how ! It is estimated that the connection between neurons constitutes an impressive communication network of around 1000 kilometers. Neural communication is generated by electrochemical impulses.

In order for the “electrical conversation” to take place at maximum speed, the fat covering the neurons and what we colloquially call the “nerves” is essential. In addition, the fat layer prevents the brain from burning. In fact, fat absorbs more heat and insulates electricity. However, not just any fat will do.

The brain craves cholesterol and omega-3s

The fat in the brain is deliciously chosen from its cells. Of these, about 25% is cholesterol, which is  needed to perform many brain functions including memory and learning. In addition, the brain’s own cells make cholesterol. There are therefore generally no deficiencies of this fatty acid.

However, the same is not true with the brain’s other favorite fats that it could not function properly without: polyunsaturated fatty acids. We know them as “omega”. The most numerous are undoubtedly the omega-3s. The brain is a hungry storehouse of omega-3s that needs to be replenished.

With the exception of a few traditionally vegan populations,  humans generally barely produce all of the omega-3s they need. Therefore, when these fatty acids are scarce in the diet, it can lead to  neurodegenerative diseases,  cognitive impairment and depressive states in the medium term.

Where do we find the most omega-3s?

More than 50% of omega-3 fatty acids come from fish oils  (especially blue fish), and lower amounts from seafood and seaweed. If we eliminate these nutritional sources and replace them only with dried fruits, seeds, vegetable oils and legumes, we will only cover a small portion of the total omega-3 that our brains need.

This aspect is particularly important for children during their first years of life. Their brains are still forming and growing. In this regard, a  recent study  has shown that omega-3 imbalance increases the risk of suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.

With age, omega-3s continue to be essential for the functioning and maintenance of the brain. In young adults, it is estimated that the brain does not show omega-3 deficiency until a few months later, whereas with age, the deficiency can show itself more quickly. In addition, omega-3 deficiency increases the risk of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s, depression and other disorders (insomnia, attention deficit disorder, mental fatigue).

It is estimated that an  average adult person needs 200-300 mg per day of the different types of fatty acids. Some foods that contain it are:

• Cod liver oil  (3500 milligrams per 100 grams)
• Herring and sardines  (1500-1800 milligrams per 100 grams)
• Salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout, sturgeon  (500-800 milligrams per 100 grams)
• Fish  roe (red and black caviar) (380-400 milligrams per 100 grams)
• Hake, sea bream, sea bass, carp, ray, red mullet, turbot, cod, sole and other white fish  (150-200 milligrams per 100 grams)
• Seaweed  (nori, hiziki, wakame, kombu, dulse, arame) (20-50 milligrams per 100 grams)

What if I don’t eat seafood?

Most humans do not have the metabolic mechanism to make certain types of omega-3s from foods of plant origin. Only a few populations of vegan tradition for many generations have managed to adapt to the lack of fish oils and have made up for their omega-3 needs from vegetables, grains and seeds.

Finally, consuming only chia or flax seeds, dried fruits, olives, cereals or vegetable oils is not enough to cover the needs of the different types of omega-3 for intellectual and emotional activity.