Healthy fats for a healthy brain

Swapping out unhealthy fats for healthy fats can be one of the best ways to look after your brain health.

by Hannah Gresham-Britt, Accredited Practicing Dietitian

The saying “you are what you eat” is a reminder that the foods we eat affect our health and our well-being. This is especially true when it comes to our brain health. Eating foods with nutrients that nourish our brains can help keep our minds in tip-top shape as we get older. It can also reduce the risk of developing cognitive decline or Alzheimer’s disease.

Fat is one of the nutrients which affects brain health. Fats can be divided into two different groups:

healthy fats, which are associated with better brain and heart health; and
unhealthy fats, which are associated with worse brain health and can increase your risk of both cognitive decline and heart disease.

Healthy fats (known as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) are good for both brain health and heart health. People who eat these fats regularly reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease and experiencing cognitive decline.

Healthy fats are the type of fats that are usually liquid at room temperature. They often (but not always) come from plants or fish. These healthy fats play an important role in the blood-brain barrier, a part of the brain’s defence system that protects it from damaging chemicals. Some healthy fats also act as antioxidants, protecting the brain from damage caused by stress. They also benefit heart health, which helps the brain stay healthy by providing a good supply of oxygen and energy.

Examples of healthy fats include:

Fish and seafood
Vegetable and seed oils
Nuts and seeds
Avocados
Olives and olive oil.

Unhealthy fats (known as saturated fats and trans fats) are associated with worse brain health and higher risk of cognitive decline while ageing. Studies have found that people who eat high amounts of unhealthy fats have higher levels of the damaging proteins in the brain that are associated with dementia.

Unhealthy fats are usually solid at room temperature, and are often in animal-based foods. They are also found in deep-fried foods and fast foods, as the temperatures used in deep frying reduced the number of healthy unsaturated fats while increasing the amount of unhealthy trans fats.

Examples of unhealthy fats include:

Processed meats and fatty cuts of meats
Butter, cream and ghee
Palm oil and coconut oil
Deep-fried foods and fast foods
Baked goods made with butter (such as biscuits)

Swapping out unhealthy fats for healthy fats can be one of the best ways to look after your brain health. Eating a diet rich in healthy fats, with only small amounts of unhealthy fats, will help you to reduce your risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

Five ways to increase healthy fats and decrease unhealthy fats

Eat at least one fish meal per week.
Switch from animal based oils to plant based oils for cooking (e.g. instead of using lard, butter or ghee use olive oil, sunflower oil or vegetable oil).
Choose the leanest cuts of meats available.
Instead of choosing fried foods or biscuits as a snack, try eating a healthy snack such as a piece of fruit, some vegetables or a yogurt.
Instead of deep-frying foods, pan fry, steam, or bake in the oven.