The best energy for the brain comes from fat or carbohydrates?

So far, all you know is maybe sugar or glucose, which is the brain's main energy source. It is true, glucose obtained from carbohydrates is a good source of energy for the brain as well as the entire human body. However, it turns out that ketones obtained from fat can also be used as a source of energy for the brain. So, it means that between glucose from carbohydrates and ketones from fat, which one is more needed as a source of energy for the brain?

Carbohydrates as a source of energy for the brain

The brain requires a lot of energy, just like the rest of the body. In fact, the brain can consume energy as much as a quarter of the total body energy intake. This is not surprising, because more than 80 billion neurons (nerve cells) send and receive signals to think and regulate emotions 24 hours a day without stopping. Even when you are sleeping.

Most of this energy for the brain is taken from glucose which comes from carbohydrates. About 50% of glucose intake that enters the body can be used by the brain as energy. Enough of it, isn't it, to supply energy to the brain?

Because of this, you may feel dizzy and less focused when you feel hungry. The problem is, when hungry the brain does not get enough glucose to convert into energy. Then the brain experiences a lack of energy.

Fat as a source of energy for the brain

Although the main energy of the brain is glucose, under certain circumstances the brain also uses energy from sources other than carbohydrates. This occurs when the carbohydrate reserves in your body are running low. The brain is the first organ to notice that there is a lack of energy from glucose in your body.

At this time, the brain will use ketones from fat as energy. Ketones themselves are substances that are produced when the body converts fat into energy. Well, ketones can provide more and longer energy than glucose, even for weeks, months, and years. This special substance can also provide energy for the brain up to 60% of the need.

Ketones may be the preferred energy for the brain. Apart from the fact that ketones can provide more energy for the brain, their use is more efficient than glucose. Not only that, ketones are also digested faster by the body than glucose. So, ketones can also supply energy faster.

Not only that, the use of ketones as energy for the brain can also increase mental acuity while protecting the brain from neurological disorders and inflammation in the brain. Ketones can be a carbon source for glutamate so that it can balance the glutamate ratio in the brain. This can then help prevent neurological disorders in the brain, as quoted from Ketogenic.com.

Your brain may get energy from these ketones when you are fasting, after strenuous exercise, after sleeping, or on a ketogenic diet. At these times, your body may reduce the lack of glucose as energy for the brain.

Which nutrition is better for brain health?

Both glucose and ketones can be a source of energy for the brain. The two can be used interchangeably. The human brain can regulate when it will use glucose or ketones for energy.

Well, ketones can be better than glucose under certain conditions. For example, in people with epilepsy who are advised to apply a ketogenic diet. This diet allows the brain to use ketones as energy because there is more fat intake and less carbohydrate intake in the ketogenic diet.

Although the use of ketones may be more efficient and beneficial for the brain than glucose as energy. However, the long-term effects of using ketones as energy for the brain are not yet known. So, you still have to consume glucose wisely to provide energy for the brain as well as for the body as a whole.

Glucose itself can be obtained from complex carbohydrates. For example, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Meanwhile, fats that are good for the brain can be obtained from fish, nuts, avocado, and seeds such as watermelon.