Saturated fatty acid levels unexpectedly rise in the brain during memory formation, according to research, opening a new avenue of investigation into how memories are made.
Dr Tristan Wallis, from Professor Frederic Meunier’s laboratory at UQ’s Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), said traditionally, polyunsaturated fatty acids were considered important to health and memory, but this study highlighted the unexpected role of saturated fatty acids.
“We tested the most common fatty acids to see how their levels changed as new memories were formed in the brain,” Dr Wallis said.
“Unexpectedly, the changes of saturated fat levels in the brain cells were the most marked, especially that of myristic acid, which is found in coconut oil and butter.
“In the kitchen, saturated fats are those which are solid at room temperature while unsaturated fats are normally liquid.
“The brain is the fattiest…
