Trans fats are bad not only for your waistline but also for your brain, shows a study.

Every gram of dietary trans fatty acids consumed in a day was linked with 0.76 fewer words recalled, which means 11 fewer words recalled with the highest trans fat intake compared to those who consumed least trans fats.

“Trans fats were most strongly linked to worse memory, in young and middle-aged men, during their working and career-building years,” said Beatrice A. Golomb, professor of medicine at University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

For the study, presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) 2014 Scientific Sessions recently, researchers analysed the cross-sectional relation between trans fat intake and word memory test in 1018 adults, who had no previous history of coronary artery disease.

“From a health standpoint, trans fat consumption has been linked to higher body weight, more aggression and heart disease,” said Golomb.

Foods have different effects on oxidative stress and cell energy and the trans fats do contribute to oxidative stress, a process that damages cells, researchers found.

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