Your brain function and cognitive performance do not have to decline with age. According to studies, several steps can influence your memory, processing, executive function, and more.

Simple changes may prompt brain health for the better even if you are already in your “golden years.”

For instance, in a recent study published in the journal Nature, it revealed how canola oil triggers in your brain and the effects it may have on your memory and learning ability. Aside from this, it was also found that canola consumption can increase weight gain.

Canola Oil Negatively Affects Brain Health and Weight Management

Dr. Domenico Praticò, who from Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the lead researcher of the study. He commented that canola oil is perceived by many to be healthy – a widespread misconception:

“Canola oil is appealing because it is less expensive than other vegetable oils, and it is advertised as being healthy. Very few studies, however, have examined that claim, especially in terms of the brain.”

For the study, a mouse genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer’s disease were used to evaluate the effect canola oil has on brains.

Canola oil has the lowest percentage of saturated fats of all commonly used vegetable oils. It is relatively inexpensive and developed a reputation for being healthy, but it is actually one of the worst oils for your health.

Consumers are being deceived that canola oil is better for them than saturated fats. It is often used in restaurants and homes for sautéing, frying, baking, and other forms of cooking.

The mice were split into two groups: one group was fed chow with the human equivalent of 2 teaspoons of canola oil per day and the second group was fed the usual chow.

After six months, results revealed that the mice eating chow with canola oil were significantly heavier as compared to the mice that did not eat canola oil. Moreover, the mice who had eaten canola oil was found to have a significant decline in working memory together with a decreased level of post-synaptic density protein-94, a marker of synaptic integrity. The researchers found canola oil had a negative effect on health and concluded:

“Taken together, our findings do not support a beneficial effect of chronic canola oil consumption on two important aspects of AD [Alzheimer’s disease] pathophysiology which includes memory impairments as well as synaptic integrity.”

Your Brain Needs Healthy Fats

Similar models were used by the same researchers to evaluate the effects of olive oil on the brain function of mice. In the study, neither group was heavier than the other. Chow enriched with extra-virgin olive oil was give to the mice and was found to be significantly better on testing that evaluated the animals’ working memory, spatial memory and ability to learn.

According to the results, the mice fed olive oil demonstrated preserved synaptic integrity and an increase in nerve cell autophagy, ultimately responsible for a reduction in amyloid plaques common in the brain of those with Alzheimer’s disease.

Healthy fat is an important component of your brain which is composed of nearly 60% fat. In order to function optimally, your brain needs quality fat. Though it is only a small part of your complete body weight, it uses 20 percent of your metabolic energy. Essential fatty acids are required but cannot be synthesized in your body, and so must come from dietary sources.

A lot of people get well over the needed omega-6 fats, which are commonly found in most vegetable oils, and not nearly enough omega-3 fats. Studies have linked one omega3 fat, DHA, with the growth of your retina and visual cortex during development, visual acuity, and reduction in depression. A person suffering from attention deficit hyperacidity disorder (ADHD) has been found to have lower levels of DHA, and DHA may play a role in neuroprotection.

Vegetable oils have highly damaged fats. Saturated fat is the optimal “clean” fuel for your brain and is one of the main components of brain cells. Due to this, it is said to be excellent for brain health, with one study proving how saturated fats can reduce the risk of developing dementia while a significantly increased risk has been demonstrated by those who favored carbohydrates.

You don’t need processed vegetable oils, like canola oil. In order for you to maintain optimal brain function, a high-quality, undamaged omega-3s and omega-6 is what you need along with antioxidants for protection against oxidation.

Here Are The Reasons Why Processed Vegetable Oils Are Bad For Your Brain Health:

1. They strip your liver of glutathione, which produces antioxidant enzymes, which further lowers your antioxidant defenses.
2. They are loaded with damaged omega-6 fatty acids without protective antioxidants.
3. Most vegetable oils are made with genetically engineered (GE) crops designed to resist herbicides like glyphosate. Therefore, they may be more contaminated with glyphosate than non-GE crops. Glyphosate has been found to disrupt the tight junctions in your gut as well as increase the penetration of foreign invaders, especially heated proteins, which can cause allergies.

How Canola Oil Is Made And How It Passed FDA Tests