--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our brains, for instance, are 70 percent…" description: "\"“Our brains, for instance, are 70 percent fat, mostly in the form of a substance known as myelin that insulates nerve cells and, for that matter, all n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c30/gary-taubes-11659_blood-sugar_our-brains-for-instance-are-70-percent-f_1441254.jpg" --- # Our brains, for instance, are 70 percent fat, mostly in… ![“Our brains, for instance, are 70 percent fat, mostly in the form of a substance known as myelin that insulates nerve cells and, for that matter, all nerve endings in the body. Fat is the primary component of all cell membranes. Changing the proportion of saturated to unsaturated fats in the diet…” quote by Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c30/gary-taubes-11659_blood-sugar_our-brains-for-instance-are-70-percent-f_1441254.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c30/gary-taubes-11659_blood-sugar_our-brains-for-instance-are-70-percent-f_1441254.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c30/gary-taubes-11659_blood-sugar_our-brains-for-instance-are-70-percent-f_1441254.jpg) > ““Our brains, for instance, are 70 percent fat, mostly in the form of a substance known as myelin that insulates nerve cells and, for that matter, all nerve endings in the body. Fat is the primary component of all cell membranes. Changing the proportion of saturated to unsaturated fats in the diet, as proponents of Keys’s hypothesis recommended, might well change the composition of the fats in the cell membranes. This could alter the permeability of cell membranes, which determines how easily they transport, among other things, blood sugar, proteins, hormones, bacteria, viruses, and tumor-causing agents into and out of the cell. The relative saturation of these membrane fats could affect the aging of cells and the likelihood that blood cells will clot in vessels and cause heart attacks.”” [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Dietary fat composition influences cell membrane properties, affecting nutrient transport, disease risk, and aging. **In simple terms:** Fat types in diet change cell membranes and health outcomes. Key Takeaway Adjust fat intake to improve cellular health. Themes nutrition biology health diet cellular function Mood concerned inquisitive Type informative analytical When to use this quote - weight management - heart health - diabetes prevention - longevity planning Key Concepts Biochemistry membrane permeability metabolism Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports altering fat saturation for health? - How can diet changes be balanced with other health practices? A Different Perspective Changing fat types alone may not offset other lifestyle factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blood sugar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blood-sugar/) [Fats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fats/) [Fats Affect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fats-affect-2061639/) [Fats Diet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fats-diet-2716520/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Membrane Fats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/membrane-fats-5158468/) [Unsaturated Fats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unsaturated-fats-4813358/) ## Related quotes > [“you can be quite flexible in how you get your dietary fats: dairy, meat, eggs, oils, nuts, and fish are all healthy sources. 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There is a lot of interesting science behind it all and although precautions are important, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-coleman/i-m-not-trying-to-scare-you-though-there-is-a-lot-of-interesting/) [Ella Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-coleman/) > [“1. Long n-3/n-6s are good. We get these from grass-fed meats and wild-caught fish. 2. Ancestral ratios of n-3/n-6 were approximately 1 to 1.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robb-wolf/1-long-n-3-n-6s-are-good-we-get-these-from-grass-fed-meats-and-wild/) [Robb Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robb-wolf/) > [Even though fructose has no immediate effect on blood sugar and insulin, over time -maybe a few years-it is a likely cause of insulin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/even-though-fructose-has-no-immediate-effect-on-blood-sugar-and/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [“In particular, raising blood sugar will increase the production of what are known technically as reactive oxygen species and advanced glycation end-products, both of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/in-particular-raising-blood-sugar-will-increase-the-production-of/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [“The vitamin-C molecule is similar in configuration to glucose and other sugars in the body. It is shuttled from the bloodstream into the cells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/the-vitamin-c-molecule-is-similar-in-configuration-to-glucose-and/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [“given sufficient time, high-fructose diets can induce high insulin levels, high blood sugar, and insulin resistance, even though in the short term fructose has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/given-sufficient-time-high-fructose-diets-can-induce-high-insulin/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [“Wolever and Jenkins tested sixty-two foods and recorded the blood-sugar response in the two hours after consumption. 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We could put something on her wall." Her eyes lit up very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-knight/maybe-she-s-got-a-facebook-page-like-every-other-kid-in-america-we/) [Angela Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-knight/) > [I have no intention of retiring. Even my blood sugar is better when I'm working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-stritch/i-have-no-intention-of-retiring-even-my-blood-sugar-is-better-when-i/) [Elaine Stritch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-stritch/) ## More by Gary Taubes > [“Canned breakfast juices had first appeared during Prohibition, motivated by grape growers who could no longer sell their products as wine, and by orange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/canned-breakfast-juices-had-first-appeared-during-prohibition/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [“The bottom line is something that’s been known (and mostly ignored) for over forty years. 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The result is an inability to use glucose for fuel and to retain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/in-type-1-diabetes-the-cause-is-a-lack-of-insulin-the-result-is-an/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [“The point to keep in mind is that you don’t lose fat because you cut calories; you lose fat because you cut out the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/the-point-to-keep-in-mind-is-that-you-don-t-lose-fat-because-you-cut-2/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [We don't get fat because we overeat; we overeat because we're getting fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/we-don-t-get-fat-because-we-overeat-we-overeat-because-we-re-getting/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [“Those who ran the most tended to weigh the least, but all these runners tended to get fatter with each passing year, even those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/those-who-ran-the-most-tended-to-weigh-the-least-but-all-these/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [“The “remarkable sodium and water retaining effect of concentrated carbohydrate food,” as the University of Wisconsin endocrinologist Edward Gordon called it, was then explained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/the-remarkable-sodium-and-water-retaining-effect-of-concentrated/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [“Does being “thin” ensure optimal “health”? No. It’s now well accepted that many lean individuals have the condition known as metabolic syndrome, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/does-being-thin-ensure-optimal-health-no-it-s-now-well-accepted-that/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [There is a theory that creativity arises when individuals are out of sync with their environment. To put it simply, people who fit in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/there-is-a-theory-that-creativity-arises-when-individuals-are-out-of/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) [Explore all 56 Gary Taubes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) ## More Blood sugar quotes > [I have no intention of retiring. 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