Time and again, we all have heard about how good almonds are for kids and teenagers to maximize their intelligence, but what must have bothered a lot of people is, how and why almonds are good for your brain? What exactly almonds offer that makes them better than other foods? And similar questions. In this post, I am gonna talk about those hows and whys while trying to keep it simple for you to understand.
What most people might or might not know is, the human brain needs fat to thrive, and almonds are rich in good fats (Monounsaturated fatty acids and Polyunsaturated fatty acids). But, this is not the whole picture.
Human Brain is 60% Fat.
So omega-3, is it?
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are the omega-3s which come from marine animals such as krill and fish, whereas ALA (alpha-linoleic acid), another omega-3, is a plant-based fat, which most people consume via flax seeds, chia seeds, and the foods I mentioned above.
Why do you need DHA and EPA?
EPA and DHA play a greater role in our system, DHA being largely responsible for promoting new brain cells. When we consume EPA and DHA, they stay in our body for more than 3 days and work towards the development of the body. Whereas ALA is just like other foods, and mainly supplies energy to the body which disappears within 10 hours. Also, only 0.5% to 1% of ALA gets converted into EPA and DHA.
This is why vegetarians usually lack DHA and EPA in their diet. Deficiency of these essential fatty acids can also cause cancer and heart diseases. But that is the worst case scenario, still worth knowing.