I have always believed that we have overstated the "fat-free" diet fad to the point that we may have caused more harm than good. I subscribe to the thinking that eating less fat will NOT solve the weight problem and depending on how long you follow a fat-free diet it may have a negative effect on your health.
Everyone needs to understand that the human body needs FAT to maintain normal functioning or vital organs such as the brain for example. Fat is essential to the absorption of minerals and protection of vital organs. The type of fat consumed holds the key to healthy living. Nutritionist and other medical professionals agree that only 30 percent of the recommended daily requirements for a healthy adult should be from fat. Those fats should be unsaturated “good fats” that are found in olive oil, canola oil, and grape seed oil.
Recently scientists at the University of California-Irvine, found that oleic acids in good fats are converted in the upper part of the small intestine during digestion into oleoylethanolamide or OEA that affects memory-enhancing signals in the part of the brain that remembers emotional events. The evidence also shows that oleic acids can reduce appetite, help with weight loss and lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.
Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: “This is fascinating research and advances our understanding of the impact that diet can have on brain activity. When thinking about what constitutes a healthy diet, usually what’s good for the heart is also good for the head.” She added that the research suggests that fatty foods could help in the formation of longer term memories, but a healthy balanced diet is still the best advice in reducing the risk of developing dementia.
Source: www.HealthNews.com