A new study suggests that high trans fat consumption can lead to poor memory among young and middle-aged men.
Trans fat is described by doctors as the worst type of fat to eat as it raises the bad cholesterol and lowers the good cholesterol. It is naturally present in some meat and dairy products, but also found in manufactured foods such as baked goods, chips, fried foods, frozen goods, coffee creamers and margarine.
Earlier studies have linked trans fat to heart disease, but a new study found that it could also damage one's memory.
Researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, involved more than 1,000 healthy men aged 20 and older, who were not diagnosed with heart disease. The participants completed a questionnaire about their trans fat consumption. They also underwent a memory test where they were presented with 104 cards containing words. They had to identify whether the word was a new one or a duplicate.
The analysis showed that men below age 45 who had high trans fat consumption performed worse in the memory test. Researchers estimated that for every gram of trans fat, the participants remembered 0.76 fewer words. Those who had eaten the most trans fat failed to recall an average of 11 words.
The results remained consistent, even after factoring in age, education, ethnicity and depression.
"In a previous study, we found chocolate, which is rich in antioxidants and positively impacts cell energy, is linked to better word memory in young to middle-aged adults. In this study, we looked at whether trans fats, which are prooxidant and linked adversely to cell energy, might show the opposite effect. And they did," Dr. Beatrice A. Golomb, lead author and professor of medicine at the University of California-San Diego, said in a news release.
Researchers plan to continue their study involving female participants to determine if they will get the same result.
Dr. Martha Daviglus, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and executive director of the Institute for Minority Health Research, commented that the study is a reminder for people to watch what they eat. She is not part of the study.
"We are living more and more years, so of course we want to maintain our memory and thinking," she said to Healthday News. "We have to do something to reverse the potential damage."
The study was presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.
