Each cell is composed of smaller parts, known as organelles. Like organs of the human body, each organelle serves a different function to keep the cell alive and healthy.  

Your nutrition directly impacts each of these organelles and their ability to function on an optimal level. By looking at your cells, you can see how the adage “you are what you eat,” directly applies.  

Let’s take a look at three organelles within the cell to demonstrate how certain kinds of nutrition influences your cells:  

1. The Cell Membrane 

2. The Mitochondria  

3. The Nucleus 

What is the cell membrane? 

Your cells are enveloped by a structural boundary, known as the cell membrane, to keep the cell’s inner machinery protected. This fortified wall is populated with several gatekeepers that allow certain nutrients to pass through and waste to be expelled.  

What is it made of? Fats and proteins. 

Healthy fats promote healthy cell membranes. 

Contrary to old diet rules, you need fat. Since your cell membranes are made mostly of fat, a diet consisting of healthy fats is necessary to keep your cell membranes functioning.

Because of its non-water-soluble properties, fats are able to provide a barrier in your water-based bloodstream and tissue fluids. The fats provide your cell membrane its shape and structure.  

To see this in real-world properties, observe how a drop of oil never mixes in a bowl of water.  

Make sure to include fat in your diet but try to incorporate mostly unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats, like omega-3 fatty acids, are known as healthy fats and are commonly found in fish and nuts and best support your cell membranes. 

Research identified in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that saturated and trans fats found in animal products and many processed foods, on the other hand, don’t provide the same benefit. A cell membrane built with saturated fats results in a more rigid form, whereas a healthy membrane is flexible and fluid.