Trans Fats Translate into Memory Problems

Found in copious amounts in processed foods, trans fats are pro-oxidant compounds that may deleteriously impact cell energy. Beatrice A. Golomb, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of California/San Diego (California, USA), and colleagues studied 1,018 men, ages 20 years and older, and postmenopausal women without coronary artery disease.  Subjects completed a dietary survey to establish trans fat consumption; the researchers administered a standardized word recall test.  Among men under age 45, the subjects who ate more trans fats showed notably worse performance on the word memory test, with each additional gram a day of trans fats consumed was associated with an estimated 0.76 fewer words correctly recalled.  For those eating the highest amounts of trans fats, this translated to an estimated 11 fewer words (a more than 10% reduction in words remembered), compared to adults who ate the least trans fat.   The study authors submit that: “Greater [dietary trans fats] was significantly associated with worse word memory in adults aged 20-45 years, often critical years for career building.”