Saturated Fats Hurt Brain Function

Scientists have known for years that "bad" fats, such as saturated fats on trans fats aren't good for your heart. But according to research from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), eating one particular bad fat — saturated — can also harm brain function over time. On the other hand, a monounsaturated ("good") fat can help keep your brain sharp. Researchers studied data from the Women's Health Study, originally a group of 40,000 women, aged 45 years and older. They focused on a subset of 6,000 women over the age of 65. Over a four-year period, they took a group of cognitive tests every two years. They also filled out very detailed food frequency surveys before being tested. "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," explained Dr. Olivia Okereke of BWH's Department of Psychiatry. Women who ate the most saturated fat, which is found in animal fats such as red meat and butter, had worse overall cognition and memory over the four years than those women who consumed the lowest amounts. Women who ate the most monounsaturated fats, such as those found in olive oil, scored better on cognitive tests. "Substituting in the good fat in place of the bad fat is a fairly simple dietary modification that could help prevent decline in memory," said Okereka.