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We all know that trans fat have been shown to clog arteries, which can lead to heart disease. However, a new study suggests that trans fat can also damage your memory!
Trans fats are a kind of dietary fat that raises LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and decreases levels of HDL (“good” cholesterol). There are low amounts of trans fats found naturally in foods like milk and meat, but the dangerous levels are generally found in junk foods like chips, cookies, and anything containing hydrogenated oils, which are used to increase shelf life.
In general, trans fat consumption has been associated with obesity, heart disease, and even depression.
A new study, however, suggests there's one more reason you should throw away those frosted donuts: trans fats can damage memory!
Researchers examined about 1,000 healthy men aged 20 or older who had not been diagnosed with heart disease. Participants were asked to fill out a dietary questionnaire, from which the researchers estimated their trans fat consumption.
Researchers then tested the participants' memory by engaging them in a test called "recurrent words." Using 104 cards with a word written on them, participants were asked to say whether the word was new or had already appeared earlier.
Throughout the study, it became apparent that those with lower memory scores were consuming more trans fats. Dr. Beatrice Golomb, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, explained in the study,"The higher the trans fat consumption, the worse the performance."
In an interesting twist, it only seemed to apply to men under the age of 45.
The conclusion: the oxidizing effects of trans fats may cause brain cells responsible for memory to die, while the energy-depleting effects of trans fats may make brain cells slower and less responsive. They also suggested that this can be reversed by cutting out unhealthy fats from your diet.
What do you think about this new study? Let us know what you think in the comments!
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