The Fat that Makes You Smater

The Fat That Makes You Smarter – A study published in the journal Neurology found that very overweight people aren’t as smart as leaner people. More accurately, the researchers found a link between obesity and cognitive decline.
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It was controversial to say the least, not because it wasn’t accurate, but because sometimes science isn’t politically correct. Other studies came to the same conclusion: being overweight messes with how your brain works. But while being fat appears to cause decreased mental function, eating fat – at least the right kind – may have the opposite effect.
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What you eat affects your cognitive performance, but scientists have had trouble figuring out exactly how that works. It turns out that general intelligence is associated with the efficiency and organization of your brain’s dorsal attention network. That’s the part of the brain that takes care of daily problem solving and attention-demanding tasks. Researchers used a measure called small-world propensity, which describes “how well the neural network is connected within locally clustered regions as well as across globally integrated systems.” Translation: The better your small-world propensity, the smarter you are.
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So Where Do Dietary Fats Come Into Play? – In one study of 99 older adults, general intelligence came down to their monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) intake. Those who consumed more MUFAs were smarter. Those study participants with higher levels of MUFAs in their blood had greater small-world propensity in their dorsal attention network.
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What This Means to You – To avoid cognitive decline and maximize your intelligence, focus, and problem-solving skills:
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• Don’t get fat.
• Eat fat.
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Olive oil, nuts and nut butters, eggs, and avocados are good sources