Eat This Every Day to Heal Your Brain, Gut, and Body

Brain HealthLongevityGut HealthFood & Nutrition

Mar 29

Estimated Read Time: 7 minutes

When it comes to healing, we're told to focus on what to remove from our diets first and foremost, such as added sugar, ultra-processed foods, and other inflammatory triggers.

While these strategies do matter for improving our health, true restoration also depends on what you intentionally provide your body.

Few nutritional factors influence our health more profoundly than the types of dietary fats we consume. Healthy fats function as fuel, as well as structural components for cells, signaling molecules, and regulators of brain function, gut integrity, hormone balance, and cellular repair.

In fact, your brain itself, one of the fattiest organs in the body, is composed of nearly 60% fat. Every cell membrane in your body depends on lipid (fat) structures for stability and communication.

Fat is not the enemy of health, but one of its most essential foundations. Below, you’ll learn how fat-rich foods, from both plant and animal sources, support brain function, gut integrity, and longevity.

Why Healthy Fats Are Essential for Healing

Beginning in the late 1970s and early 1980s, dietary guidelines started promoting low-fat eating patterns, largely driven by concerns surrounding saturated fat and heart disease. As traditional fats (like butter, lard, and tallow) were reduced, they were mostly replaced with refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and heavily processed ingredients.

Yet research now suggests that these well-intentioned recommendations produced unintended consequences, including higher rates of blood sugar instability, metabolic dysfunction, and rising rates of obesity, rather than preventing them.

One of the main issues is that low-fat diets lead to reduced nutrient delivery.

Without adequate fat intake, even the most nutrient-dense diet can become deficient—because fat-soluble vitamins (including A, D, E, and K) depend on dietary fats (lipids) for absorption and utilization.

Healthy fats have numerous other roles in brain, gut, and heart health, too, including supporting:

Brain structure and neurotransmission
Hormone production
Cellular membrane integrity
Inflammatory regulation
Gut barrier stability

Fat & the Brain: A Direct Relationship

The brain depends heavily on fats for both structure and function. For instance, neuronal membranes require phospholipids and cholesterol to maintain:

Signal transmission
Synaptic flexibility
Neurotransmitter regulation

Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA (found in oily fish like salmon and sardines), are critical components of brain tissue. Low omega-3 status has been associated with cognitive decline, mood disorders, and neuroinflammatory processes. Studies suggest adults with higher omega-3 intake demonstrate:

Improved memory function
Reduced depressive symptoms
Enhanced neuroplasticity

Fat & the Gut: Maintaining the Barrier:

Healthy fats are also involved in gut lining integrity. Cell membranes within the intestinal barrier rely on lipid structures to maintain selective permeability. Adequate fat intake supports:

Nutrient absorption
Hormone signaling
Anti-inflammatory pathways

When gut integrity is compromised, systemic inflammation often rises. Inflammation, in turn, negatively impacts:

Brain function
Mood stability
Immune balance

Eggs: One of Nature’s Most Perfect Fat Packages

Eggs have long been considered one of the most "complete" foods in nature.

Egg whites receive plenty of attention for their high protein content, but the yolk is where much of the nutrient power resides. Egg yolks contain:

Phospholipids
Cholesterol
Fat-soluble vitamins (especially vitamins A, D, E, and K)
Choline
Carotenoids (antioxidants that help protect cells from oxidative damage while supporting eye, skin, and immune health)

Phospholipids are especially important compounds found in eggs because they form the structural backbone of cell membranes, including neurons. They help regulate cellular communication and improve the bioavailability of fat-bound nutrients as well as protein.

Choline, also concentrated in yolks, is an essential nutrient for:

Brain development
Memory function
Neurotransmitter synthesis

Research has shown that higher choline intake is associated with improved cognitive performance and reduced risk of neurodegenerative decline.

Importantly, eggs were historically used in a wide variety of foods—like dressings, sauces, custards, and ice creams—before fat avoidance became common. Today, many people underconsume yolks and even discard them in favor of egg white, despite their extraordinary nutrient density.

Fish Eggs (Roe): A Forgotten Ancestral Superfood

Fish roe isn't eaten in many American households, but it's one of the most concentrated sources of healing fats and micronutrients found in traditional diets.

Like bird eggs, fish eggs are designed to support growth and development, and their unique nutritional density reflects this purpose. Fish roe contains:

Omega-3 fatty acids that nourish brain tissue and regulate inflammation
Phospholipids that strengthen cellular membranes and signaling
Fat-soluble vitamins that support repair and immune balance
Antioxidants that defend against oxidative stress
Trace minerals that are required for metabolic and enzymatic function

Salmon roe, in particular, provides astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant that's been shown to help protect cellular membranes. Other noteworthy benefits of astaxanthin include assisting in:

Neuroprotection
Anti-inflammatory effects
Mitochondrial support
Skin resilience

Compared gram-for-gram, fish roe often contains higher concentrations of certain beneficial fats than many fish fillets, which is one reason they were historically prized in numerous cultures, such as traditional Japanese, Scandinavian, and coastal indigenous diets.

Organ Meats: Fat-Soluble Nutrient Concentrates

Organ meats function as biological "storage centers" within animals. As a result, they're very concentrated with vitamins, minerals, cofactors, omega-3s, enzymes, and more.

Organs such as beef or chicken liver, beef heart, and kidneys provide high levels of:

Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, and K)
B vitamins
Heme iron (the most absorbable form, much more than iron found in plants)
CoQ10
Trace minerals
Phospholipids

Liver, such as beef liver, is particularly remarkable. Gram-for-gram, the liver contains dramatically higher concentrations of vitamin A, folate, iron, and B12 than "muscle meats."

Vitamin A, for example, is a fat-soluble nutrient that's critical for immune regulation, cellular repair, skin integrity, and vision. And liver's heme iron, combined with B12, can help with red blood cell production, oxygen transport, and sustained energy levels.

Also importantly, these nutrients are not only present in organ meats but are also highly bioavailable and synergistic, meaning they work together for even greater benefits.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Fat as Cellular Protection

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is not only one of the most widely used culinary fats, but also a rich source of polyphenols, compounds that help protect cells from oxidative stress and inflammatory damage.

Research has repeatedly linked EVOO consumption with:

Improved cardiovascular health
Reduced inflammatory markers
Enhanced cognitive function
Longevity benefits

One large study examining Mediterranean dietary patterns found that higher olive oil intake was associated with 28% reduced risk of dementia and cognitive decline. Polyphenols, such as the powerful type called hydroxytyrosol, can help:

Protect lipid membranes and support cardiovascular health
Support mitochondrial function
Defend against inflammation and free radical damage that increases the risk for many chronic diseases

Avocado: Fat + Fiber + Electrolytes All in One Package

Avocados have one of the most impressive and balanced nutritional profiles of all plant foods, including a nutrient combination that's particularly powerful for gut and brain health. They provide:

Monounsaturated fats
Fiber
Magnesium
Potassium
Folate

Healthy fats support cellular membranes, while fiber nourishes beneficial gut microbes and detoxification. Magnesium and potassium, which are essential electrolytes that many people lack, contribute to:

Nervous system stability
Stress regulation and better quality sleep
Muscle and nerve function

Research suggests that higher dietary magnesium intake is associated with reduced risk of depression and improved stress resilience. Meanwhile, gut microbiome diversity, strongly influenced by fiber intake, contributes to more balanced neurotransmitter production and more positive, stable moods.

The Hidden Cost of Fat Avoidance

As mentioned above, low-fat diets often produce unintended consequences, and reducing fats frequently leads to:

Increased carbohydrate and "empty calorie" intake
Blood sugar instability
Reduced satiety
Hormone disruption
Impaired nutrient absorption

If you've been avoiding fats, you might be unknowingly consuming enough calories yet still remain micronutrient-deficient. This phenomenon, of calorie abundance but nutrient scarcity, can be reversed in part by focusing on eating more healthy fats.

Key Takeaways on the Best Foods for the Brain, Gut, & Body

Healing requires nourishment, not just restriction. Healthy fats are key players in brain structure, gut integrity, hormone balance, cellular health, nutrient absorption, and more.

To recap, foods that provide these critical lipids include:

Eggs, especially yolks
Fish roe
Organ meats
Extra virgin olive oil
Avocados

These foods are deeply rooted in traditional, nutrient-dense diets. And when incorporated into your own diet consistently, they can help support the biological systems responsible for resilience, repair, and long-term wellbeing.

References:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/anatomy-of-the-brain

https://ers.usda.gov/sites/default/files/_laserfiche/publications/42215/5831_aib750b_1_.pdf?v=35952

https://www.nutritionletter.tufts.edu/healthy-eating/why-the-low-fat-diet-failed/

https://ific.org/insights/going-low-fat-heres-what-your-diet-might-be-missing/

https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/fats-in-foods

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38252923/

https://nigms.nih.gov/biobeat/2024/01/what-do-fats-do-in-the-body

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10304460/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9138374/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8570899/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10574613/