Eat good fat for a better memory

William Atkins
Saturday, 16 May 2009 23:08

Science - Biology

Since rats improved their memory when OEA is injected into their body, the researchers suggest that OEA may also boost memory in humans, since they also produce OEA in their system.

Their abstract states, “These findings suggest that the memory-enhancing signal generated by OEA activates the brain via afferent autonomic fibers and stimulates noradrenergic transmission in the BLA. The actions of OEA are mimicked by PPAR-α agonists and abolished in mutant mice lacking PPAR-α."

"The results indicate that OEA, acting as a PPAR-α agonist, facilitates memory consolidation through noradrenergic activation of the BLA, a mechanism that is also critically involved in memory enhancement induced by emotional arousal.”

What it comes down to, the scientists found that unsaturated fats (good, healthy fats) helped to boost the memory in rats.

It does so by activating certain memory-facilitating areas in the brain that involved emotional arousal.

The New Scientist article “Remember the facts by cramming with fat” (May 2-8, 2009, page 15) states “OEA is only produced after eating a healthy unsaturated fat called oleic acid, so a cheeseburger after a night of cramming may not work—try food with olive oil or soybean oil. Says Piomelli.”

For additional information, read the BBC News article "Fatty foods 'offer memory boost'."