Those generous spreads of margarine and baked goods could be setting you up for greater memory loss, according to a recently published study which focused on the association between trans fats and word memory.
Led by Dr. Beatrice Golomb, the researchers from the University of California, San Diego, analyzed data involving a total of 1018 men and women, with a primary focus on men as 1995-2005 Statin Study they were part of adequately represented men across all ages, making it easier to assess any possible correlation between memory functionality and trans fat consumption.
Their assessment came in the form of a word memory test, in which a participant was issued a list on words to remember and then had words printed on cards presented to him, for him to determine whether they were in the original list or were additions.
What the researchers found out is that up to around 45 years of age, a gram a day of trans fat was resulted in the inability to recall about 0.76 words, and, compared to those who didn’t, those who consumed trans fat remembered 12 fewer words.
Interestingly, beyond 45, there such a correlation between memory and trans fat consumption couldn’t be found; tentatively, it is posited that the brain beyond this point could be suffering from other forms of age/disease induced damage which would distort such a correlation.
Trans fats are infrequently found in nature, existing only in small quantities in grazing animals; their introduction to our diets is often through the consumption of processed foods, where it’s used to extend the shelf life of food stuffs.
However, as Dr. Golomb states, “while trans fats increase the shelf life of foods, they reduce the shelf life of patients.”
Trans fats’ most recurrent health issue revolve around its effects on cholesterol, where it has been shown to elevate the levels of low density lipoproteins, while stymieing the levels of high density lipoproteins; LDL accumulates in the body, leading to numerous cardiovascular problems.
Trans fats have also been linked to an increased level of aggression, as it has been found to depress levels of omega-3, which plays a role in lowering irritability and aggression.
Africa Global News Publication
