Just recently, sugar was cited to impact the memory negatively. Soon enough, fat has been alleged to impair cognitive function by scientists at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH).
In other words, scientists have revealed that food which is considered good or bad for the heart works the same way for the brain as well. Reported in the journal, Annals of Neurology, a study including nearly 40,000 women aged 45 and above was conducted. 2 memory trials were conducted at regular intervals over a 4-year period. The subjects’ food habits were gauged before the cognitive tests were conducted.
“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. Substituting in the good fat in place of the bad fat is a fairly simple dietary modification that could help prevent decline in memory,†commented Olivia Okereke, MD, MS, BWH Department of Psychiatry.
As observed in the results, women who consumed the highest proportion of lard or animal fat as well as foods with lots of butter seemed to manifest poor cognitive health. This was not the case with women consuming the same in small amounts. On the contrary, participants who consumed monosaturated fats that are generally seen in olive oil appeared to experience better cognitive functioning.
The team urged professionals to keep tabs on any sort of memory issues taking place in senior citizens. Even minor troubles in remembering things could lead to severe conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia.