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By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) — Women who eat a lot of"bad" saturated fat may hurt their overall brainfunction and memory over time, Harvard University researchersreport. In contrast, eating more "good" monounsaturated fatimproved brain function and memory, suggesting that fats may havethe same effect on the brain as they do on the heart, theresearchers added. "Making changes and substitutions in one's diet to eatfewer saturated fats and consume more monounsaturated fats might bea way to help prevent cognitive decline in older people,"said lead researcher Dr. Olivia Okereke, an assistant professor ofpsychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "This is importantbecause cognitive decline affects millions of older people. So,this is a promising area of research." Just like exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking,this may be another modifiable factor in the fight against mentaldecline, Okereke added. "Such modifiable factors are important because these arethings that people can actually change and over which they can exert some individualcontrol," she said. The report was published in the May 18 online edition of the Annals of Neurology . For the study, Okereke's team collected data on 6,000 womenwho took part in the U.S. Women's Health Study. These women took three brain function tests every two years over anaverage span of four years. In addition, they filled out detailed food questionnaires at thestart of the study and before the brain tests. The researchers found that over time, women who ate the highestamounts of saturated fat had the worst overall brain function andmemory, compared to the women who ate the least. Moreover, women who ate the most monounsaturated fats had higherscores on brain tests over the four years of testing, they note. Saturated fat comes from animal fats such as red meat and butter,while monounsaturated fats are found in olive oil and othervegetable products. In the study, the researchers accounted for many things that couldinfluence the findings, including age, education, exercise,smoking, drinking, medication use and health conditions. This isdone to ensure that the findings are not due to better healthbehaviors among certain women. "We think it is unlikely that these findings regardingdietary fat would be primarily explained by a healthy lifestyle inthose with more education," Okereke said. Although this study was among women, "it would make sensethat the basic underlying reasons for the findings we saw in womenshould also apply to men," she added. Samantha Heller, a dietitian, nutritionist, exercise physiologistand clinical nutrition coordinator at the Center for Cancer Care atGriffin Hospital in Derby, Conn., commented that "it appearsthat the effects of eating a lot of saturated fat and the foodsassociated with it, such as red and processed meats, cheese andbutter, over time creates a cascade effect of ill health." This study supports others that have found an association betweensaturated fats, the incidence of Alzheimer's disease and anincreased decline in brain function, she said. "Saturated fat has been associated with an increased risk ofatherosclerosis, cancer and diabetes, and may increase fat storagein your abdomen — commonly referred to as ‘abflab,'" Heller said. "Ab flab in and of itself increases the risk for heartdisease, diabetes, certain cancers and Alzheimer'sdisease," she said. The evidence is stacking up against consuming saturated fatregularly, Heller said. "To lower your intake of saturated fat, choose low or nonfatdairy foods such as fat-free milk and yogurt. Stick with skinlesspoultry and fish. Limit red and processed meats such as beef, pork,lamb, hot dogs or bologna, to a few times a month. Experiment withmeatless meals such as veggie burgers, spinach-eggplant lasagna, orblack bean, corn and avocado tacos," she advised. More information For more information on a healthful diet, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture . SOURCES:Olivia Okereke, M.D., assistant professor, psychiatry,Harvard Medical School, Boston;Samantha Heller, M.S., R.D.,dietitian, nutritionist, exercise physiologist and clinicalnutrition coordinator, Center for Cancer Care, Griffin Hospital,Derby, Conn.; May 18, 2012, Annals of Neurology , online Last Updated: May 18, 2012 Copyright 2012 HealthDay . All rights reserved. I am an expert from hydraulic-gearpumps.com, while we provides the quality product, such as China Hydraulic Vane Pump , Hydraulic Pump Systems Manufacturer, Hydraulic Vane Pump,and more.
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