Loss of Memory Associated with a High Fat, High Cholesterol Diet
A study recently published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found memory impairment in rats fed a diet high in cholesterol and saturated fat. This memory loss appeared to be caused by an inflammatory process in the brain that occurred as a result of the high fat diet provided to the rodents. There was also impairment in the structural proteins involved in how a nerve cell functions. As inflammation is associated with a poor diet, the failure of functions in other key organs such as the eye and the ear are hypothesized.
Loss of memory with advanced age is a problem in most societies and is noted to be particularly severe in industrialized nations. We are a nation of fast food – notably high in fat, saturated fat in particular, and cholesterol.
Assuming that the study noted above done in rodents were extrapolated to humans, the study suggests that as humans age, memory may be preserved and brain function improved by the consumption of a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol. It was concluded from the study that as cases of obesity and obesity related illnesses have increased dramatically in the U.S. – also related to a diet high in saturated fat-the importance of this issue is immediate.
The next step is to begin human clinical trials so we can get evidence-based medicine recommendations out to the public, industries and health care providers.
Kathy Shattler received her Master of Science degree from Michigan State University in E. Lansing Michigan in Human Nutrition. Her twenty-two years of practice includes holding positions as a Lecturer, Chief Clinical Dietitian and Program Manager. Kathy is the Founder of Nutri-Care Consulting and is currently the Nutrition Director of www.CEU4U.COM, an online continuing education management company for Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians.
