For years, fat was treated like the enemy of health. “Low-fat” labels dominated grocery aisles, and many people learned to fear oils, nuts, egg yolks, and anything that sounded rich. But modern nutrition science tells a very different story: fat is not only necessary for survival, it is one of the most powerful dietary tools for protecting the heart and the brain—when you choose the right kinds.
According to wellness educator Vanessa Keaton, the real question isn’t “Should I eat fat?” It’s “Which fats should I eat, and how do I build meals that use fat strategically for cardiovascular and cognitive health?” Healthy fats support stable energy, hormone production, nutrient absorption, inflammation control, and the physical structure of every cell in your body. In the heart and brain, their role becomes even more critical.
This article breaks down the science behind healthy fats, explains how they protect your cardiovascular system and cognitive function, and offers practical, realistic ways to incorporate them into daily life—without turning your diet into a math problem.
Why Your Body Needs Fat: The Non-Negotiable Biology
Fat is a macronutrient, meaning your body needs it in significant amounts for basic function. While carbohydrates and protein have their own roles, fat is uniquely important for structural integrity and long-term regulation. It’s not just fuel—it’s building material and biological “software.”
Healthy fats are essential because they:
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- Build cell membranes (including heart cells and brain cells).
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- Support hormone production (including sex hormones and stress hormones).
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- Help absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
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- Provide steady energy and improve meal satisfaction.
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- Help regulate inflammation and immune signaling.
When dietary fat is too low for long periods, people often experience constant hunger, unstable energy, poor skin health, mood changes, and difficulty absorbing key nutrients. More importantly, replacing fat with refined carbohydrates can worsen blood sugar stability and raise cardiovascular risk factors in many individuals.
Vanessa Keaton emphasizes a key principle: fat quality matters more than fat quantity. The health impact of fat depends on its type, the food source, and what it replaces in the diet.
Healthy Fats and Heart Health: What the Science Really Shows
Heart health isn’t only about cholesterol numbers. It’s about the health of blood vessels, the stability of blood pressure, the balance of inflammation, and the long-term resilience of the cardiovascular system. Healthy fats influence all of these areas—especially when they come from whole-food sources.
1) Unsaturated fats support healthier cholesterol patterns
Two major categories of fats are often discussed in heart health: unsaturated fats (generally heart-protective) and saturated fats (more complex and context-dependent). Unsaturated fats include:
Monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil, avocados, many nuts) and polyunsaturated fats (found in fatty fish, walnuts, flax, chia, and certain oils). These fats tend to improve lipid patterns when they replace refined carbs or certain saturated fats in the diet. They may help lower LDL cholesterol (often called “bad cholesterol”) and support higher HDL cholesterol (“good cholesterol”) in some people.
For a practical overview of how different fats influence cardiovascular risk, Harvard Health’s guidance on dietary fats is a reputable reference point.
Harvard Health Publishing: “The truth about fats: bad and good”
2) Omega-3 fats are uniquely protective
Omega-3 fatty acids—especially EPA and DHA—play a special role in heart health. They are associated with anti-inflammatory effects, support for healthy triglyceride levels, and improvements in certain markers of cardiovascular function. While supplements can be useful for some people, Vanessa Keaton prefers a “food-first” approach when possible: fatty fish (like salmon, sardines, mackerel) a few times per week is a simple, high-impact habit.
For readers who want a science-based explanation of omega-3s and heart outcomes, the American Heart Association offers clear public health guidance.
American Heart Association: Omega-3 fatty acids
3) Healthy fats support better blood sugar stability
Blood sugar stability is deeply tied to cardiovascular health. Frequent glucose spikes and insulin surges increase oxidative stress and can contribute to inflammation and metabolic dysfunction over time. A balanced meal that includes healthy fat tends to digest more slowly and produce a steadier blood sugar response—especially when paired with protein and fiber.
This matters because metabolic health and heart health are inseparable. When you build meals with stable energy in mind, you often improve heart-risk markers as a side effect.
4) Trans fats are the true “no” category
If there is one category of fat that is broadly harmful, it’s industrial trans fats. These fats have been strongly linked to increased cardiovascular risk. While many regions have reduced or banned trans fats in the food supply, small amounts can still show up in processed foods. Vanessa Keaton recommends reading labels carefully and minimizing foods with partially hydrogenated oils.
Important note: “healthy fats” do not give a free pass to ultra-processed foods. A highly processed product can contain some unsaturated fat and still be a poor choice due to refined starches, added sugars, and additives. In heart health, the overall food pattern matters.
Healthy Fats and Brain Health: Your Mind Runs on Lipids
The brain is one of the fattiest organs in the body. A significant portion of brain tissue is made of fat, and healthy lipids are essential for memory, focus, mood stability, and long-term cognitive protection.
1) Fats build the structure of brain cells
Every neuron is wrapped in a membrane made largely of lipids. That membrane isn’t just a protective coating—it’s part of how brain cells communicate. Healthy fats support membrane flexibility and signaling efficiency, which may influence how well neurotransmitters and receptors function.
In addition, the brain’s “wiring” relies on myelin, a protective sheath around nerve fibers that helps signals travel quickly. Myelin is fat-rich. While nutrition alone cannot “optimize” myelin in a magical way, long-term nutrient sufficiency—including healthy fats—supports the biological conditions needed for stable neural function.
2) Omega-3s support cognition and mood regulation
Omega-3 fats (particularly DHA) are heavily concentrated in the brain. They are involved in neural development and may support cognitive performance and mood regulation. Many people first notice the benefits of healthy fat intake not as a dramatic “brain boost,” but as steadier mental energy, fewer mood swings, and improved emotional resilience—especially when dietary changes also reduce blood sugar instability.
For an accessible overview of omega-3s and brain-related benefits, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements provides fact-based information.
NIH ODS: Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Consumer Fact Sheet)
3) Fat helps you absorb key brain-support nutrients
Many nutrients associated with brain and nervous system health are fat-soluble or absorbed better with dietary fat. For example, vitamin D and vitamin E both rely on fat for absorption. If someone consistently eats “fat-free” meals, they may be unintentionally reducing the bioavailability of nutrients that protect brain tissue and reduce oxidative stress.
Vanessa Keaton’s rule is simple: if your meal contains vegetables, especially leafy greens, include a source of healthy fat. It makes the meal more satisfying and improves nutrient absorption—without needing complicated planning.
How to Eat Healthy Fats Daily Without Overdoing Calories
One reason people struggle with fat is that it’s calorie-dense. That’s not a bad thing—it’s simply a reality of nutrition. Healthy fat supports satiety and steady energy, but too much fat (even healthy fat) can push total intake beyond what your body needs. The goal is strategic consistency, not extremes.
Step 1: Choose your “default” fats
Instead of rotating through dozens of products, pick a few high-quality staples you can rely on weekly. Vanessa Keaton recommends building a core set of “default fats” that are easy to use:
Practical daily staples: extra-virgin olive oil, avocado, almonds or walnuts, chia or flaxseed, and fatty fish (or a quality omega-3 supplement if food intake is low).
Olive oil deserves special mention because it is both versatile and strongly associated with heart-supportive dietary patterns. Use it for salads, light sautéing, and finishing dishes.
If you prefer the convenience of shopping online for olive oil or omega-3 products, you can browse options here:
Amazon: Extra Virgin Olive Oil
And for omega-3 products, a general category search is here:
Note: If you use supplements, choose reputable brands, follow label instructions, and discuss omega-3 use with a clinician if you take blood thinners or have a bleeding disorder.
Step 2: Build meals around a balanced plate
Healthy fats work best when they are part of a balanced pattern: protein + fiber + healthy fat. This structure supports blood sugar stability, reduces cravings, and improves meal satisfaction.
Examples of balanced, heart-and-brain-supportive meals:
Breakfast: Greek yogurt with berries and a tablespoon of chia seeds, plus a handful of walnuts. This provides protein, fiber, and omega-3-rich fats for steady morning energy.
Lunch: A large salad with mixed greens, legumes or chicken, olive oil-based dressing, and avocado. This supports satiety and nutrient absorption.
Dinner: Salmon with roasted vegetables and a whole-food carbohydrate source like quinoa or sweet potatoes. This supports omega-3 intake while keeping the meal balanced.
These meals aren’t “perfect.” They are realistic. And over weeks, consistent meals like these create a dietary environment that supports lower inflammation, steadier energy, and healthier cardiovascular markers.
Step 3: Replace the right things—not everything
Healthy fats improve health most reliably when they replace less supportive choices. Replacing refined carbohydrates with healthy fats and fiber-rich foods often improves energy and metabolic stability. Replacing trans fats and overly processed snacks with nuts, olive oil-based meals, or fatty fish tends to produce more consistent cardiovascular benefits.
The common mistake is adding healthy fats on top of an already high-calorie, ultra-processed diet. That doesn’t usually help. The biggest improvements come when healthy fats are part of a broader “cleaner” pattern that includes more whole foods, more fiber, and fewer processed ingredients.
Step 4: Understand saturated fat in context
Saturated fat is not automatically “toxic,” but it is more nuanced than unsaturated fat. Some saturated fat occurs naturally in whole foods like dairy, meat, and coconut products. For many people, moderate intake can fit within an overall heart-healthy diet—especially if the diet also includes plenty of fiber, vegetables, and unsaturated fats. However, very high saturated fat intake may raise LDL cholesterol in some individuals, particularly if the rest of the diet is low in fiber or high in refined carbohydrates.
Vanessa Keaton’s practical guidance is: prioritize unsaturated fats most of the time, keep saturated fat moderate, and avoid trans fats as consistently as possible.
Step 5: Watch for quality and freshness
Healthy fats can become less healthy when they oxidize. Oils exposed to heat, light, and air can degrade over time. Store oils properly, choose fresh products, and avoid repeatedly reheating oils at high temperatures. Using stable fats for higher-heat cooking and reserving delicate oils like extra-virgin olive oil for lower-heat cooking or cold use can help maintain quality.
A quick safety note
This article is for general informational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you have cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, gallbladder issues, or take medications that affect blood clotting, discuss major dietary changes or supplement use with a qualified clinician.
Still, for most people, the core message is empowering: healthy fats are not the enemy. They are a biological requirement. When chosen intelligently and paired with a balanced whole-food diet, healthy fats can support stronger blood vessels, steadier metabolic health, and better cognitive function for years to come.
