Fat Was Never the Enemy
Lets talk about fat! The good, the bad, and the ugly.
What could be an ideal breakfast to set you up for the day:
I personally like to eat eggs in the morning, ideally fried with butter!
Eggs are super versatile: fried, scrambled, boiled..
Sometimes I like to add peppers into the scrambled eggs, for an extra pop of colour and to get the veg in. Little bit of avocado on the side, maybe some small tomatoes.
Or if there are some sardines left over from the night before, add them in!
And that is really delicious.
As a side some cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, and a slice of your choice of bread if needed and wanted- this will keep you going for hours on a busy day!
But for a long time, fat has been treated as something to fear.
Thinking about the time when growing up with my grandmother, everything in her fridge was fat free, or at least low fat: the yoghurt, the cheese, margerine instead of butter.. as fat was apparently the enemy.
But the body- and the brain- need good fats!
Butter, eggs, olive oil, oily fish, nuts, seeds— foods that humans had eaten for generations became a suspect. Supermarket shelves filled with “low-fat” products, and the idea spread quickly that cutting fat out of the diet was the key to becoming healthier and losing weight.
Fat is not just a nutrient. It is one of the fundamental building blocks the body relies on to function properly.
The brain depends on it. The nervous system depends on it. Hormones depend on it. Even the structure of our cells depends on it.
And when it is missing — or replaced with the wrong kinds of fats — the consequences show up surprisingly quickly.
Why the Brain Needs Fat
The brain is often thought of as an organ of thought, but biologically it is also one of the most fat-rich organs in the body.
Roughly 60 percent of the brain’s dry weight is made up of fat, much of it in the form of structural lipids that form the membranes of brain cells and the insulating layers around nerve fibres.
These fatty structures allow signals to travel efficiently between neurons. They support memory formation, emotional regulation, and cognitive performance.
One particular group of fats plays a critical role here: omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
DHA is a major structural component of the brain and retina. It contributes to the fluidity of cell membranes, allowing brain cells to communicate effectively with each other. Research suggests that adequate omega-3 intake is associated with improved cognitive performance, mood regulation, and long-term brain health.
When omega-3 intake is too low, the brain must function with less optimal structural support.
Over time this may contribute to:
reduced cognitive flexibility
poorer concentration
increased inflammation in the brain
greater vulnerability to neurodegenerative disease
In other words, the brain does not simply run on glucose. It is structurally built from fats.
Fat Is Not Only for the Brain
Beyond the brain, fats are essential for many systems throughout the body.
They help absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. Without dietary fat, the body cannot properly absorb or use these nutrients.
They are also crucial for hormone production. Hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol are synthesised from cholesterol and fatty molecules. Extremely low-fat diets can disrupt hormonal balance, affecting energy levels, mood, reproductive health, and metabolism.
Fat also plays an important role in satiety.
Meals that contain healthy fats tend to digest more slowly and provide more stable energy over time. This helps regulate appetite and prevents the rapid blood sugar spikes and crashes that often occur with highly refined carbohydrate-heavy meals.
This is why a meal containing eggs, avocado, olive oil, fish, nuts, or seeds tends to keep people satisfied for longer than a meal built mostly from refined carbohydrates.
The Fats That Actually Support Health: the right kind of fats we need to eat.
Not all fats are the same!
The fats that consistently appear in research as beneficial for long-term health are those that are minimally processed and naturally present in whole foods.
These include:
extra virgin olive oil
oily fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel
nuts and seeds
avocados
eggs
butter from quality dairy
These fats contain a combination of monounsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, and naturally occurring fat-soluble nutrients that support metabolic health and reduce inflammation.
Populations that traditionally consume these foods — for example in Mediterranean dietary patterns — consistently show lower rates of cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders.
The issue was never fat itself.
The issue was the type of fat and the context in which it is eaten.
When Fish Is Not an Option
Ideally, omega-3 fatty acids are obtained through regular consumption of oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, or anchovies.
However, not everyone eats fish regularly.
In those cases, omega-3 supplementation can be useful- if not even necessary!
→ The most important components to look for in an omega-3 supplement are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). These are the forms the body actually uses.
When choosing a supplement, a few details matter:
→ Look for products that clearly state the amount of EPA and DHA per serving, rather than simply listing “fish oil”.
Good quality supplements also tend to include:
third-party testing for purity
low levels of oxidation
certification for heavy metal screening
Omega-3 oils are sensitive to heat, light, and oxygen, so quality and storage matter.
In general, the goal is not extremely high doses but consistent intake, especially for those who rarely consume fish.
The Difference Between Real Fats and Greasy Food
The confusion around fat often comes from grouping very different foods under the same label.
The fats found in olive oil, nuts, fish, or eggs behave very differently in the body compared with the fats found in deep-fried or highly processed foods.
Deep frying repeatedly heats oils to high temperatures, which can damage the structure of the fats and create compounds that promote inflammation.
And we want to keep away from any food that can cause inflammation in the body!
Examples include:
deep-fried fast foods
heavily processed snack foods
industrial seed oils used repeatedly at high heat
margarine and hydrogenated fats
Over time, diets high in these types of fats — especially when combined with refined carbohydrates — have been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and chronic inflammation.
This is not the same as eating whole foods that naturally contain fats.
The Low-Fat Era
Part of the confusion around fat can be traced back to the late twentieth century, when dietary guidelines began promoting low-fat eating as a way to prevent heart disease.
Food manufacturers responded quickly.
Fat was removed from countless products and replaced with refined carbohydrates and added sugars to maintain taste and texture. Breakfast cereals, low-fat yoghurts, snack bars, and countless processed foods appeared on supermarket shelves, all marketed as healthier alternatives.
But removing fat did not solve the problem.
In many cases it simply replaced one nutrient with another — often sugar or refined starch — that produced rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin.
Over time this pattern has been linked with rising rates of obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.
The problem was never simply fat.
The real issue was the growing dominance of ultra-processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and added sugars.
The Bigger Picture
Fat is not something the body tolerates reluctantly.
It is something the body relies on.
When fats come from real foods, they support the structure of the brain, the balance of hormones, and the stability of metabolism.
When they come from highly processed, repeatedly heated oils and industrial food products, the story becomes very different!
Like many things in nutrition, the answer is not found in extreme rules.
It is found in understanding the difference between real food and manufactured substitutes.
And once that distinction becomes clear,
the fear of fat tends to disappear.