Key Findings :
- Trans fat consumption is linked to declining memory in young to middle-aged men.
- Men under 45 years old who ate higher amounts of trans fats, had significantly reduced ability to recall words.
“From a health standpoint, trans fat consumption has been linked to higher body weight, more aggression and heart disease. As I tell patients, while trans fats increase the shelf life of foods, they reduce the shelf life of people” said Beatrice A. Golomb, M.D., Ph.D., lead author and professor of medicine at the University of California-San Diego. Researchers believe that consuming significant amounts of trans fats, may cause oxidative stress (kind of cell damage). Oxidative stress is associated with the development of diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
For each extra gram of trans fat eaten a day, the person in the study remembered .76 fewer words. The men who ate the most trans fat in the study remembered a total of about 10% fewer words compared with the adults who ate the least amount of trans fat, even when filtered for demographic qualities that typically affect one's memory like age, depression and education. A 2012 study of older women found those who consumed more fat of all types had memory challenges.A 2013 study in the UK found similar results in a small number of young women.
More resources at http://newsroom.heart.org/news/trans-fat-consumption-is-linked-to-diminished-memory-in-working-aged-adults?preview=01f0
For a history of trans fat please refer to http://edition.cnn.com/2014/11/26/health/trans-fat-memory/
