5 Foods that Mess with Your Memory
by Kristen Mucci-Mosier
Do you often feel like you can't remember anything? A new study links a decline in memory with a diet high in saturated fat.
The study, conducted by the Annals of Neurology, the journal of the American Neurological Association, looked at the effects of various types of fat on cognitive functioning and memory among 6,000-plus older participants in the Women's Health Study. The study, which began five years after the dietary assessment, found higher saturated fat intake was associated with worsened cognitive and memory function, while higher monounsaturated intake was related to better functioning.
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Not to mention, saturated fat boosts your blood cholesterol level more than anything else in your diet. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute estimates that Americans eat an average of 11 percent of their total calories from saturated fat, far above its recommendation of under 7 percent a day.
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So, what foods are best to limit for health and memory's sake? Read labels for these chock-full-of-saturated-fat ingredients:
1. Butter
2. Whole milk and whole milk products like cheese and ice cream
3. Sausages, liver meats and red meat
4. Coconut oil and cocoa butter
5. Palm kernel oil and palm oil
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So, which are the "good fats" to include in your diet? Foods high in monounsaturated fats include:
1. Avocados
2. Nuts
3. Seeds
4. Olive oil
5. Canola oil
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