There are those who translate “fat free” into “good for you.” The misunderstanding has a strange sense of logic, after years of hearing how eating less fat means weight loss and better health.
Eating less fat will not solve a weight problem, and depending on the lengths you go to cut fat out of your diet, could quite possibly cause more harm than good. The human body requires fat for overall health, it 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.

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 researchers hope that their work could offer a new way of treating memory related problems. The evidence also shows that oleic acids can reduce appetite, help with weight loss and lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.

Drugs that mimic OEA are in clinical trials. It is hoped that they can mimic the effect of fat rich foods to boost memory in those suffering from loss of memory or dementia. If the drugs which are being tested could also be a solution to the growing obesity problem and contribute to cholesterol and triglyceride control it would be a great break through for many health problems.