All that fat you've been told NOT to eat? Turns out your brain needs it after all.
If you've been taking my advice, you never stopped eating it in the first place -- and your gray matter is almost certainly all in order.
But if you've been missing out, it's time to play catch-up and fast -- because the latest research shows that seniors who eat the most fatty fish are practically guaranteed not to suffer dementia.
Of the 160 seniors tracked for 15 years, just 3.2 percent of those who ate the most fish eventually developed either mild cognitive impairment or full-blown dementia -- versus 30.8 percent of those who ate little to no fish.
That's a WHALE of a difference!
MRIs revealed that the fish-eating seniors also had more gray matter -- and in case it's not obvious, more is definitely better on this one.
Even fish-eaters found to have the "brain shrinkage" associated with dementia swam ahead of the school -- because they were 40 percent less likely to suffer from cognitive problems than those who ate no fish.
All good, but not exactly breaking news. Fatty fish has proven to be so healthy so often that even the mainstream has come around on this one. But they'll tell you the fats in fish are somehow special... while the ones in meat are dangerous.
Nonsense!
I don't care if you get your fats from fish, pigs, cows or chipmunks -- if it's an animal fat or fishy oil, it's good for your body. And with few exceptions (like coconut and peanut oils), vegetable oils are dangerous and deadly.
The key with animal fats is to make sure yours are fresh from the farm -- because grass-fed meats and free-range eggs are loaded with the same omega-3s that make fatty fish so good for you and your brain.