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What would you like, a burger or your brain?
Excess dietary fat has two devastating effects on the brain: it impairs cerebral circulation and it creates millions of free radicals.
Excess consumption of fat impairs cerebral circulation by clogging arteries with low density lipoprotein (LDL), which decreases the elasticity of the brain's blood vessels.
High fat intake also creates huge amounts of free radicals, because fat oxidizes quickly, often almost instantaneously. Fat oxidizes so quickly that if you pour oil into an open container, it will become infused with air, in a few seconds. This infusion with air, oxidation, quickly turns the oil rancid. Rancid oil contains some of the most destructive free radicals that exist.
When free radicals from fat meet your neurons, they quickly damage the neurons and begin to kill them. One reason your neurons are especially vulnerable to free radical damage is that the brain itself is composed largely of fat. Each of your neurons is 60% fat. In a sense, parts of your brains can become rancid, from oxidation, over the course of your life. As you age, portions of your brain can literally rot.
There are three basic types of fat - saturated, which is the most harmful, polyunsaturated, which is the next most harmful, and monounsaturated, which is the least harmful.
"Saturated" means it is saturated with hydrogen atoms, which make fat molecules pack together tightly. This results in a thick consistency, like lard. Margarine is hydrogenated corn oil. Nivea cream is hydrogenated olive oil. Unfortunately, saturated fat does not dissolve well in your body. Your body did not evolve with saturated fats.
This undissolved, lard-like fat accumulates on the walls of your blood vessels. Eventually, it can close up blood vessels and cause a disruption of blood flow to your heart, a heart attack, or a disruption of blood flow to your brain, a stroke.
Saturated fat enters every cell in your body, including your brain cells. When it accumulates in a cell, it causes the cell wall to thicken, harden and lose its ability to allow nutrients to enter the cell. It also prevents waste from leaving the cell. This severely damages the functioning of the cell and eventually kils it.
The absolute worst form of fat is fat that has been changed to a solid or semi-solid state, such as margarine, or shortening. This hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated gunk has been transformed into a particularly destructive form, called trans-fatty acid, which glob together in your cells and wreak havoc.
Factory food contaning margarine or other forms of hydrogenated corn oil is the highest dietary source of fat for Americans. It is even a greater source than meat!
People who eat four or more teaspoons of margarine per day have a 66% higher chance of cardiovascular disease and cancer, especially breast and prostate cancer.
Tomorrow, I'll describe the alternatives and give you the good news.