Fat and Brain Health: Why we need fat to function

Why is it essential to eat animal fats? Commonly, we are told that the brain requires glucose to function. This, my friends, is a big, fat lie!

What disorders can be improved with higher fat diets?

Eating fat has been shown to improve cognitive function and mental clarity;  mood and mental health; as well as brain disorders like schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s. 

Expressly, noted improvements in brain-related disorders are:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Brain fog
• Memory
• Brain injury
• Stroke
• ADHD
• Autism
• Epilepsy
• Dementia (Type 3 Diabetes)
• MS (multiple sclerosis)
• Migraines

You can check out one study supporting this here. These are just some of the brain-related issues that can be improved or reversed – not to mention metabolic, autoimmune, and other health issues.

We have been sold on a low-fat diet for so long. And it shows. Incidents of ADHD, autism, anxiety, and depression have increased dramatically along with so many other disorders and diseases. We have been told fat and cholesterol should be avoided at all costs. This has been a detrimental piece of horrible advice.

What about all those studies?

Any study that is done for research requires funding. Scientists need paychecks just like the rest of us. So where does this money come from? Usually, at least some portion of funding comes from a large corporation that would stand to benefit from the findings of such studies. So perhaps the study is conducted in a way that a bit of ‘good information’ may come out of it, but the large part of the outcome will be worded in such a way, or the process of the study has been done in such a way, that the funding source can tout the findings as proof that you need to purchase their product. There are no local ranchers out here funding studies, they simply don’t have the bank for that. All we can do is trust the history of our species and dissect the significant amount of data, ignoring the study’s conclusion. Check the sources, and check the processes.

A simple example would be Ancel Key’s 7 nations study. It’s said that the study actually included 22 countries, but only 7 fit the narrative, so the rest were excluded. Another example is well known – the Harvard scientists who were bought by the sugar companies to outright lie and say that fat causes heart disease when the study clearly shows that sugar was the cause. This was proven many years ago, but the false information is so widely circulated that most people, including doctors, still believe it to be true. If this were the case, the last few decades at the height of the low-fat and high-fiber diets, and the increased popularity of veganism should have effectively reduced the rate of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s, ADHD, autism, and the vast array of other modern, and way too common, diseases. But the opposite has happened. The rate of these and other diseases has steadily increased!

What does food have to do with the brain?

Now, to get a bit science-y… brain health begins in the gut – the gut-brain connection. This is where our neurotransmitters are made. A key chemical for brain health is serotonin. But did you know that serotonin is actually made in your gut? So our brain health begins with what we are putting into our bodies. Fiber creates small perforations in the digestive tract. This causes ‘leaky gut’, which is exactly as it sounds. In addition, the toxins in the plants we are convinced we need can contribute to depression. Toxins and various fluids are leaking into your body and bloodstream. This has a direct effect on your brain and contributes to the mental and physical health of your brain. What do you consume via your eyes, your ears, and your mouth? It all matters a great deal. It’s imperative to your overall health. Filling the body with grains and sugar is causing the brain to be malnourished. The brain is not getting the nutrition it needs to operate efficiently or optimally. Add to that the man-made non-food ingredients in processed products, and we don’t really stand a chance at a long, healthy, and happy life.

Book recommendation:

This book has been on my list for a few years:

Video recommendation:

Here is a link to a great YouTube video discussing this topic as well: Anthony Chaffee, the Plant-Free MD with guest, Natalie E. West – a clinical psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience in mental health.

Questions?

This could be a very long post if I were to go into each category and explain how carnivore, specifically higher fat carnivore, can positively impact each issue. Let me know in the comments if there is any specific brain-related issue you would like more information on! 

If you’re ready to start eliminating foods that are harming your health and begin really living your life, email me or contact me on social media here:

You can book a coaching session with me and we will work together to find the right strategy for your particular health mission! Just click the image below, then come with me – we have healing to do!