Trans Fat And Memory Loss Linked! Why Are Trans Fats Unhealthy?

A new study provided another reason to avoid trans-fat though it might improve the taste of processed foods.

Though trans-fat occurs naturally in small amounts, its quantity increases when oils are processed (hydrogenated). The term characterizes a geometric configuration of the fat molecule in which two carbon chain branches are on the opposite sides (Trans) of a double bond.

No doubt, Dietary Trans fatty acids (dTFA) enhance the taste, texture as well as durability of processed foods; however these acids are linked to worsened memory function in men.

In a research conducted by the University of California, researchers checked data from 1,108 men and women who were asked to complete a dietary survey and memory test involving word recall, Business Standard noted.

While men aged 45 and younger recalled 86 words, for each additional gram of trans-fat consumed every day, performance dropped by 0.76 words. Those who consumed the highest levels of trans-fats in the study were not able to recall more than 12 words on average.

"Trans fats were most strongly linked to worse memory in men during their high productivity years," Lead researcher Dr. Beatrice Golomb said.

Participants in the study were mostly male, however including women did not affect the finding, Golomb noted. A link between older people who consumed higher levels of trans-fat and memory was not seen, probably because it was concealed by the effects of ageing on memory, Golomb added.

"As I tell patients, while trans-fats increase the shelf life of foods, they reduce the shelf life of people," she warned.

Trans-fat can occur naturally at extremely low levels in some dairy and meat products. In addition, artificial trans-fat is made when oil gets through hydrogenation, which involves adding hydrogen to liquid oil to make it more solid, according to reports on Times of India.

Partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) are generally used in bakery products such as cakes, biscuits, pizzas, and pastries, fried product (potato, corn chips, etc.), deep fried foods like French fries, fried chicken etc.