Eat less saturated fat

Saturated fats, including those found in animal fat, butter, full-fat dairy, palm oil, and coconut oil, may disrupt dopamine signaling in the brain when taken in extremely high doses, according to some animal studies.

These studies have only been done on rats. According to one study, rats who got half of their calories from saturated fat had less dopamine signaling in their reward centers than those that had the same number of calories from unsaturated fat. More study is required, but some experts believe that diets high in saturated fat may cause the body to become more inflammatory, changing how the dopamine system functions. Some previous observational studies have discovered a relationship between excessive saturated fat intake and poor memory and thinking ability in people.