Fats: Essential Nutrients for Your Brain

We're going to dispel some myths today. First and foremost, brain health is important to everyone regardless of age and, here's the best part, good nutrition can make a big difference.

Truly, the more we can support our brain health the better.

A lot of people hear the term brain health and wonder, “How do I even know if my brain is healthy or not?” That's a great question and luckily for us, your body and mood give tons of clues and indications of a well-functioning brain or a brain needing a little extra support.

DHA is one of our first brain foods:

What is so amazing about brain nutrition is that it starts at the very beginning.

Our very first “brain food” is DHA, found naturally in breast milk. That alone tells us something important: healthy fat is not extra when it comes to the brain. It is foundational.

DHA is one of the most important fats for the brain and eyes, playing a key role in brain cell membranes, healthy brain development, and protecting the brain from inflammation. In other words, from the earliest stage of life, the brain depends on healthy fat.

Where healthy fats start to drop off:

The problem is that once children transition to solid foods, this often changes. Many parents simply are not taught how important DHA and other beneficial fats really are, so intake tends to drop right at the time when the brain is still rapidly growing and developing.

That matters more than most people realize.

The brain does not stop needing healthy fat after infancy. It continues to rely on it for memory, focus, mood, learning, and overall function all through the school years, into young adulthood, and throughout life. Yet this is often the very time when beneficial fats are replaced with ultra processed foods like crackers, cereal, snack foods, sugary treats, and other low-quality choices that do little to support a healthy brain.

When you understand that, it changes the conversation. Healthy fat is not something to fear. It is one of the most important building blocks for a sharp, healthy, resilient brain.

Brain Health Clues

Let's look to some clues that your brain health could use some attention. Cognitive decline often first shows up in one or more of the following ways:

• Brain fog that keeps showing up
  One of the biggest warning signs is ongoing brain fog. This can feel like cloudy thinking, trouble finding words, feeling mentally slow, or just not feeling as sharp as usual. It is easy to brush this off as stress or a busy season, but when brain fog becomes common, it is often a sign that something deeper needs attention.

• Trouble focusing or concentrating
  Another clue of cognitive decline is when it starts to feel harder to stay on task or mentally “lock in." People may feel more distracted, less productive, or like their attention span is not what it used to be. Problems focusing can show up early, before someone would ever describe their symptoms as a serious brain-health issue.

• Memory lapses that feel more frequent
  Forgetting names, losing your train of thought, misplacing things, or struggling with word recall are indicators that your brain may need more support. Memory lapses may be one of the first signs the brain is under strain. Not every memory slip is cause for alarm, of course, but be sure to look to look at your overall health when these moments become more frequent or more noticeable.

• Mood changes like more anxiety, low mood, or emotional instability
  Brain health is not just about memory. Mood is a huge part of it too. Feeling more anxious, depressed, emotionally reactive, or just not like yourself can be clues that the brain and nervous system are struggling. Many people separate mental and physical health, when in reality they are deeply connected.

• Poor sleep followed by worse mental sharpness
  If sleep is off and you notice your memory, focus, patience, or clarity getting worse, that can be a sign your brain needs help. Sleep is one of the most basic ways the brain restores itself, so when sleep quality drops, brain function often drops right along with it. Many people notice they feel more forgetful, foggier, and less resilient after poor sleep, and that pattern is worth paying attention to.

• Gut issues that show up alongside brain symptoms
  This is one of the biggest patterns to notice: digestive symptoms happening at the same time as brain-related symptoms. Bloating, constipation, reflux, diarrhea, or other ongoing gut issues paired with brain fog, mood changes, or low mental energy can be a significant clue that the gut-brain connection needs attention. If both are happening together, it is usually not coincidence. It is often a sign that the body and brain are lacking something foundational, rather just symptom management.

Healthy Fats Support Brain Health

We work with many clients who struggle with memory, focus, anxiety, depression, brain fog, ADD/ADHD, and even lingering effects from concussions.

There is one thing many of these clients have in common: they have been taught to fear fat.

For years, people were told that all fat was bad. Low-fat foods became the norm, and many parents were encouraged to feed those same low-fat products to their children during some of the most important years of brain development.

But the truth is, beneficial fats are one of the most important nutrients for a healthy brain. Why? Because your brain is made largely of fat.

Why Your Brain Needs Healthy Fat

Healthy fat matters because your brain depends on it for structure, protection, and communication.

Your brain is not just supported by healthy fat — it is built with it. Certain fats play an essential role in building brain cells, protecting the nervous system, and helping messages travel clearly and efficiently throughout the body. In other words, healthy fat provides the raw materials the brain needs to function well.

This impacts everything from memory and focus to mood, learning, and mental clarity. All of these brain functions work better when the brain is getting the right kinds of fat. When those fats are missing and replaced with poor-quality fats and processed foods, the brain is depleted of critical nutrients and starts to suffer.

That is why healthy fat is not something to fear. It is one of the most important building blocks for a healthy, resilient, well-functioning brain.

What Happens When the Brain Does Not Get Good Fats

The right kinds of fat make a difference when it comes to brain health. Refined, processed oils (think deep-fried and processed foods) do not support the brain the same way natural, healthy fats do. Instead, they can create more inflammation in the body and brain and make it harder for the brain to function at its best. That is when people may start to notice more brain fog, poor concentration, mood swings, or memory issues.

Diets high in poor-quality fats often go hand in hand with more sugar, processed carbs, and ultra-processed foods, which only adds to the problem. That combination further increases inflammation and provides less of what the brain needs for stable, healthy function.

So, when someone is working to improve their brain health, reducing processed foods is one of the first places we start. You simply cannot build a healthy brain out of low-fat, high-sugar, highly processed foods.

Which Fats Support Brain Health

Essential fatty acids are important. Think of them like your brain's fuel.

Here are a few ideas on adding beneficial fats:

Cod Liver Oil

Remember when your grandma used to say, “Have you had your cod liver oil?” Cod liver oil is still recognized as a brain-healthy fat, rich in omega-3 fatty acids. But this isn't the hard-to-swallow cod liver oil of the past; it has a lemon flavor which tastes great and is kid-friendly.

Coconut Oil

You've likely been hearing the benefits of coconut oil for quite some time, and it's all (well mostly) true! Furthermore, in her book, Alzheimer's Disease: What If There Was a Cure? Mary T. Newport, a neonatologist, tells the story of how she used coconut oil to significantly improve symptoms and the quality of life for her husband Steve, who was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease.

Coconut oil contains a high concentration of a special type of fat called medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) fatty acids.

When ingested, MCT fatty acids are converted into ketones by the liver and then sent to the brain to be used for fuel. Unlike glucose, ketones do not require insulin to enter the cell, so they are an important fuel for people who have insulin resistance in the brain—like those with Alzheimer's disease. In short, ketones from coconut oil protect the brain by providing much-needed energy for brain cells.

You can easily incorporate this oil into your diet by cooking with it, making a batch of Chocolatey Fat Bombs, or adding some in your coffee or smoothie. It tastes delicious and provides your brain extra energy!

Grass-Fed Butter

Really, what could be better? Quality butter directly feeding your brain? It's true! Grass-fed organic butter is a source of MCT fats, a quick source of energy for the brain as they are easily absorbed fuel the brain with ketones (an alternative to glucose for brain energy). Grass-fed butter is also a source of omega-3 fats, which are building blocks of brain matter and help reduce inflammation.

Omega-3

Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that is critical for brain health and for reducing inflammation. DHA and EPA are the two main components of omega-3. DHA makes up significant proportion of the fat in your brain, while EPA reduces inflammation throughout the body. Studies have shown omega-3 can be helpful for people with hypertension, heart disease, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, Crohn's disease and Alzheimer's.

The tastiest way to get more omega-3 in your diet is to increase your consumption of fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring. If you're not a fan of fish, the easiest way to incorporate this fatty acid is by supplementing with 1,000 mg up to 3,000mg daily. If you're dealing with a current brain issue or have suffered a concussion, you could go up to 6,000 mg daily.

For more on that, listen to a past Dishing Up Nutrition podcast with guest Dr. Lewis, founder and President of the Brain Health Education and Research Foundation, that explored the connection between omega-3 and concussion recovery.

What About Olive Oil?

Olive oil is a great healthy fat and absolutely belongs in a brain-supportive diet. But when we talk about the fats that are most foundational for the brain itself, olive oil is not the whole story.

It is a better choice than processed vegetable oils and other poor-quality fats, but it does not provide the same kind of brain-specific support as DHA-rich omega-3s. So yes, olive oil is a good choice — it is just not the only healthy fat the brain depends on.

Small Changes Make a Big Impact For Your Brain Health

A few simple changes in the foods you eat can have a real impact on your brain. If you want to think more clearly, improve memory, and feel more stable and focused, it helps to start asking a simple question: What have I fed my brain today?

Think of it this way: you would not pour dirty or poor-quality oil into your car and expect it to run well. The same idea applies here. Your brain works best when it is getting the kinds of fats that truly support it.

Once you understand which fats help nourish the brain, you can start making choices that support better focus, memory, mood, and mental clarity.

The good news is that this does not have to be complicated. The goal is simply to start including healthy fats throughout the day by building them into meals and snacks in a consistent, practical way. Just like you would not want a car running low on oil, you do not want your brain running low on the nourishment it needs.

A Plan to Support Your Brain Health

Now that you know the WHAT to feed your brain, what might that look like over the course of a day?

Let's give you some meal and snack ideas to help you incorporate those brain-healthy fats into your life in a real way:

• Breakfast: cook your eggs and veggies in frass-fed butter or coconut oil (if you're a coffee or tea drinker, try a splash of this MCT oil for a brain boost!)

• Morning snack: portion out some Crispy Nuts or add coconut milk or coconut oil to a smoothie

• Lunch: top your Pumpkin Chili with sour cream or avocado slices. Or add some sprinkled cheese to this Steak Gorgonzola Salad with an olive oil dressing for a boost of quality protein alongside healthy fat.

• Afternoon snack: make a Green Veggie Dip or an Olive Tapenade to go with fresh cut veggies or spread cream cheese on nitrate-free deli meat

• Dinner: pair wild-caught salmon with a side of veggies roasted in avocado oil or make a big batch of Spicy Coconut Stew

• Bedtime snack: slather some nut butter onto half of an apple, whip up this Healthy Apple Dip, or add cream to a half a cup of berries

Of course, there are so many versatile, delicious ways to incorporate healthy fat into meals and snacks. If you get in a rut and need new meal ideas or help getting past the “low-fat” mentality of the past, the dietitians at Nutritional Weight and Wellness are a wealth of knowledge and can help you brainstorm what works in your lifestyle, for your tastebuds.

Make an appointment with one of us via phone or Zoom or take the upcoming cooking class, Cooking Brain-Healthy Foods with chef Marianne. We are here to support you as you feed your brain, memory, and good moods with quality, healthy fats!

For more information on brain health, check out these resources:

• Listen: Nutrition to Heal Your Brain with special guest William J. Walsh, PhD
• Listen: Alzheimer’s Prevention: Protect Your Memory
• Read: Be Kind to Your Brain article by founder Darlene Kvist
• Learn: Building a Better Working Memory online class
• Learn: Cooking Brain-Healthy Foods virtual cooking demonstration