We are all well aware of all the studies that have been done showing us that dietary trans fats are bad for us. The studies have shown us that trans fats can lead to heart attacks and other cardio vascular health problems; however, it’s not just out hearts that are at risk. There have also been studies done to show that consuming trans fats directly affects our brains ability to remember.
What are Dietary Trans Fats?
While some meat and dairy products contain small amounts of naturally occurring trans fats, most are an artificial fat created in an industrial process. This process aims to make vegetable oils more solid by adding hydrogen to them.
These trans fats are primarily found in processed foods, from ready-made frostings, chips, and microwave popcorn to French fries, refrigerator dough and non-dairy creamers, as “partially hydrogenated oils.”
Companies use these dietary trans fats to give food a more desirable taste and texture. Not only are these trans fats easy to use, but also they are also inexpensive to produce and last a long time.
Although they seem like a good idea from a business standpoint, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made a decision in March 2016 that partially hydrogenated oils are no longer Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) in human food, giving companies until 2018 to completely phase out the use of the trans fats.
The Studies
2012
A study done by Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) related the intake of fatty acids to memory among 6,000 women ages 65 and older. This study found that the total amount of fat intake didn’t affect cognitive function, but the types of fat did. Women who ate diets higher in mono-unsaturated fats had a healthier cognitive function over those who ate a diet higher in saturated and trans fats.
2013
The University of Roehampton, London, UK, and King’s College London, London, UK conducted a study on 38 women from 25 to 45 years old. The study was similar to the study on older women. It found that younger women who consumed higher amounts of saturated and trans fats had poorer word recall and recognition then those who consumed higher amounts of mono-unsaturated fats.
2014
A third study, this time focused on men was conducted by the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. The study evaluated 1,018 men who were asked to complete a memory test involving word recall.
On average, men under 45 were able to recall 86 words. For each additional gram of trans fat that was consumed daily the number dropped by 0.76 words. The men with the highest levels of dietary trans fats were able to recall about 12 less words compared men who consumed no trans fats, but were otherwise similar.
While there was no study done to observe the effects of dietary trans fat consumption among older men, it is reasonable to assume that older men would be affected the same way as younger men since there were no differences between younger and older women.
Trans fats may increase the shelf life of foods, but they have been proven to have nothing but a negative effect on the human body. Limiting the consumption of these fats is estimated to be able prevent 10,000-20,000 heart attacks and 3,000-7,000 coronary heart diseases per year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Based on the studies referenced above, limiting our consumption will also have positive effects on the cognitive functions of the human brain.
Reading your food labels is the only way to ensure you aren’t consuming high levels of dietary trans fats.
