American Heart Association: 'Consumption Of Trans Fats Linked To Memory Loss In Working-Age Men'

Higher levels of dietary industrial trans fatty acids (dTFA) in adult men aged 20 to 45 has been linked to worse word memory, suggests a new study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2014.

Though both men and women participated, the research focused on men because only men were properly represented in younger adult ages.

Unlike foods with antioxidant properties — chocolate, for example, contains an antioxidant that has been connected to improved memory skills — trans fats contain pro-oxidants and are linked adversely with cell energy.

In a sample of 694 men, researchers found that "each gm/day dTFA was associated with an estimated 0.76 fewer words recalled, yielding an estimated 11 fewer words at the highest dTFA intake [compared to] none."

For adult men in their critical years of career building, researchers found, a higher rate of trans fat consumption was significantly linked to a decline in word memory.

Not to mention, "from a heath standpoint, trans fat consumption has been linked to higher body weight, more aggression, and heart disease," lead researcher Professor Beatrice Golomb told Food Navigator. "As I tell patients, while trans fats increase the shelf life of foods, they reduce the shelf life of people."

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Karen Lo is an associate editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @appleplexy.