With Fat: What's Good or Bad for the Heart,
May be the Same for the Brain
By Jessica Maki,
EurekAlert
May 18, 2012
A
new study from Brigham and Women's
Hospital found that certain types of fat
were associated with worse memory and
overall cognitive function
Boston, MA--It has been known for years
that eating too many foods containing
"bad" fats, such as saturated fats or
trans fats, isn't healthy for your
heart. However, according to new
research from Brigham and Women's
Hospital (BWH), one "bad" fat—saturated
fat—was found to be associated with
worse overall cognitive function and
memory in women over time. By contrast,
a "good" fat—mono-unsaturated fat was
associated with better overall cognitive
function and memory.
This study is published online by Annals
of Neurology, a journal of the American
Neurological Association and Child
Neurology Society, on May 18, 2012.
The research team analyzed data from the
Women's Health Study—originally a cohort
of nearly 40,000 women, 45 years and
older. The researchers focused on data
from a subset of 6,000 women, all over
the age of 65. The women participated in
three cognitive function tests, which
were spaced out every two years for an
average testing span of four years.
These women filled out very detailed
food frequency surveys at the start of
the Women's Health Study, prior to the
cognitive testing.
"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 Olivia Okereke, MD, MS, BWH
Department of Psychiatry.
Women who consumed the highest amounts
of saturated fat, which can come from
animal fats such as red meat and butter,
compared to those who consumed the
lowest amounts, had worse overall
cognition and memory over the four years
of testing. Women who ate the most of
the monounsaturated fats, which can be
found in olive oil, had better patterns
of cognitive scores over time.
"Our findings have significant public
health implications," said Okereke.
"Substituting in 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
particularly important. Even subtle
declines in cognitive functioning can
lead to higher risk of developing more
serious problems, like dementia and
Alzheimer disease.
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