(June 17, 2015) Higher consumption of dietary trans fatty
acids (dTFA), commonly used in processed foods to improve taste, texture and
durability, has been linked to worsened memory function in men 45 years old and
younger, according to a University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
study published online on June 17 in PLOS ONE.
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.