"Not every fat is your enemy. Fats-the right kinds and in the right amounts-are among your best friends. It is smart to commit to a balanced-fat diet, not to a no-fat diet."
"In general, you will be fine if less than 20 percent of the fat you consume is saturated. Beyond that 40 level, saturated fat may promote heart disease and perhaps some types of cancer. A diet high in saturated fat can also make you depressed and antisocial, and impair your general mental performance."
"Keeping your fat intake too low, on the other hand, could also be dangerous. Fat in food is broken down into chemicals called fatty acids. The body uses them for many purposes. They go into all hormones. They are critical to body metabolism. And they are part of the outer membrane of every cell in the body, including those in the brain. You need these fatty acids in order to stay physically healthy and mentally sharp.
Of the many fatty acids the body uses, two are called "essential fatty acids" (EFAs). Your diet must contain foods that provide them, because the body cannot make them on its own. The most important are omega-3 fatty acids. They are crucial for the proper development of the human brain. All brain-cell membranes need to refresh themselves continually with new supplies of omega-3s."
"And the old saying about fish being brain food is true. Fatty fish that live in cold water such as salmon, tuna, and herring-are rich in omega-3s, especially in one called DHA. It is identical to a material in human nerve cells. 85 Even if you don't eat fish, you can still get the DHA you need from green vegetables, sesame seeds, and egg yolks."
"In psychology and physiology journals, articles routinely confirm the value of omega-3 fatty acids. One published study demonstrated that fish oil reduced