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We’ve known for some time now that eating too many foods containing “bad” fats—saturated fats or trans fats—isn’t healthy for your heart. Now it appears these fats, which are found in foods such as butter and red meat, may also be bad for your brain.
Olivia Okereke, MD, MS, of the Department of Psychiatry, found that higher amounts of saturated fat, in particular, were linked with worse overall cognitive function and memory over time in women.
On the flip side, higher amounts of one of the “good” fats—monounsaturated fats—was associated with better overall cognitive function and memory. Foods high in monounsaturated fats include olive oil, canola oil and nuts.
Researchers analyzed data that included food surveys and cognitive test results from a subset of more than 6,000 women, over the age of 65, from the Women’s Health Study. The study was published online last month in Annals of Neurology.
“When looking at changes in cognitive function, what we found is that the total amount of fat intake did not really matter, but the type of fat did,” said Okereke.
Women who consumed the highest amounts of saturated fats, compared to those who consumed the lowest amounts, had worse overall cognition and memory over four years of testing. Women who ate the most monounsaturated fats had better patterns of cognitive scores over time.
“Our findings have significant public health implications,” said Okereke. “Substituting the good fat in place of the bad fat is a fairly simple dietary modification that could help prevent decline in memory.”
Okereke notes that strategies to prevent cognitive decline in older people are very important. Even subtle declines in cognitive functioning can lead to a higher risk of developing more serious problems, like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.