02/02/2026
Healthy Facts are Necessary! Avocados, Walnuts, Olive Oil, Grass Fed Butters ~
The human brain is remarkably fatty, composed of approximately 60% lipids. Because it cannot produce certain essential fats on its own, it relies on your diet to maintain its complex machinery. Healthy fats serve several critical roles:
🗂️Building and Protecting Structure
📑Cell Membrane Integrity: Healthy fats, particularly DHA (an omega-3), are primary structural components of brain cell membranes. They ensure these membranes remain fluid and flexible, which is vital for neurons to communicate effectively.
📑Myelin Insulation: Fats are used to create myelin, a fatty sheath that wraps around nerve fibers. This “insulation” allows electrical impulses to travel quickly and efficiently, facilitating everything from fast thinking to physical coordination.
🗂️Supporting Brain Communication
📑Neurotransmitter Synthesis: Essential fatty acids act as messengers and help synthesize neurotransmitters, the chemicals that transmit signals between brain cells.
📑Synaptic Plasticity: Fats like DHA stimulate pathways that promote neuronal plasticity, which is the brain’s ability to form new connections—a process essential for learning and memory.
🗂️Protection and Maintenance
📑Anti-inflammatory Effects: Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. High levels of inflammation are linked to cognitive decline and mood disorders.
📑Blood-Brain Barrier: Healthy fats help maintain the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, the defense system that prevents damaging chemicals from entering your brain.
🗂️Alternative Energy Source
📑Fueling Neurons: While the brain primarily uses glucose, recent research indicates that neurons can tap into fat droplets for energy when glucose levels are low. Additionally, ketones (produced from fats) can serve as an efficient fuel source, particularly during infancy and in certain therapeutic diets like the ketogenic diet for epilepsy.
PMID: 20329590