Good Fats Are Good For Brains

Saturated fats from butter and animals have always been shown to be bad for your health, but a new study shows that saturated fats might also be bad for your brain.

Researchers have discovered that the amount of fat intake doesn't affect cognitive function; rather, it's the type of fat that really matters, LiveScience reports.

The study, published in the journal Annals of Neurology, says that saturated fats and trans fats have been linked to a worse cognitive function and memory in women. Good fats, or monounsaturated fats from olive oil, avocados, and nuts, have been linked to better memory and brains.

"Substituting in the good fat in place of the bad fat is a fairly simple dietary modification that could help prevent decline in memory,'" researcher Dr. Olivia Okereke told LiveScience.

The study analyzed 6,000 women over the age of 65, all who were asked to participate in three cognitive function tests over a span of four years. The women were asked to fill out a food survey, and the results showed that women who had the most monounsaturated fats in their diets had better cognitive scores than women who had more bad fat.

Okereke hopes that these findings could help prevent memory loss in elderly people, decreasing the risk for serious problems like dementia and Alzheimer's disease.