A study published in PLOS ONE shows that higher consumption of dietary trans fatty acids (dTFA) may be linked to worsened memory function in men 45 years old and younger.
Researchers evaluated data from 1,018 men and women who were asked to complete a dietary survey and memory test involving word recall. On average, men aged 45 and younger recalled 86 words; however, for each additional gram of trans fats consumed daily, performance dropped by 0.76 words. This translates to an expected 12 fewer words recalled by young men with dTFA intake levels matching the highest observed in the study, compared to otherwise similar men consuming no trans fats. After adjusting for age, exercise, education, ethnicity, and mood, the link between higher dTFA and poorer memory was maintained in men 45 and younger.
An association of dTFA to word memory was not observed in older populations. The researchers hypothesized that this is likely due to dietary effects showing more clearly in younger adults. Insults and injuries to the brain accrue with age and add variability to memory scores that can swamp ability to detect diet effects.
