Trans fats linked with memory loss: Study

Trans fats has been known to cause havoc to the waist line, but now a new study found that it could lead to memory loss, according to a new report from the American Heart Association.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego said in a new study that men having excess trans fats in their bodies were at a higher risk of memory loss.

The study looked 690 young and middle-aged men and those who reported eating the most trans fat, also called partially hydrogenated oil, remembered 11 fewer words out of 104 than those who ate the least, according to the study presented today at the American Heart Association conference in Chicago.

"Trans fats increase the shelf life of the food but reduce the shelf life of the person," said the study's author, Dr. Beatrice Golomb, a professor at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, according to USA Today. Other research has shown a link between trans fat consumption and obesity, aggression, heart disease and diabetes.

"They're a metabolic poison and that's not a good thing to be putting into your body," she said. "They don't provide anything the body needs."

Trans fat is a form of artificially created unsaturated fat. It is used to improve flavor, texture and shelf life and is mainly found in processed food. Previous studies on trans fats have revealed that it can increase the risk of coronary heart diseases. This new study implies that trans fats may be harmful to the brain.

Labeling laws requiring notification of the presence of trans-fat in food products first went into effect in the United States in 2006. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils allow manufactures to create baked goods, like cakes, that last for months without going bad.

Research will be done in the future to analyze how trans fats could affect women under the age of 45.