--- title: Trans Fats Health Risks: How the Fats Affect Memory description: These fats can build up in artery walls and spell disaster for the heart, but they can also harm the brain canonical: https://time.com/3923595/trans-fats-memory/ author: Alice Park article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-17T18:00:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:58:53.210Z article:section: Health og:title: Here’s Another Reason to Avoid Trans Fats og:description: These fats can build up in artery walls and spell disaster for the heart, but they can also harm the brain og:url: https://time.com/3923595/trans-fats-memory/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt38fc17327380ebb9/698854cf5f570f6213b1c036/gettyimages-172872825.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3456 og:image:height: 1944 og:image:alt: 172872825 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here’s Another Reason to Avoid Trans Fats twitter:description: These fats can build up in artery walls and spell disaster for the heart, but they can also harm the brain twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt38fc17327380ebb9/698854cf5f570f6213b1c036/gettyimages-172872825.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # This Kind of Fat Messes With Your Memory > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=1c932663-d2f0-4d8f-a89d-f10c6f5dbf71&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: TIME Explains: Trans-Fats [Watch (HLS stream): TIME Explains: Trans-Fats](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/XbAGuNXW.m3u8) (1:42)  _Published 2013-11-07. The FDA announced it is moving towards a ban of trans fat. Here's what you need to know._  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Jun 17, 2015 6:00 PM UTC  Nutrition Label Nutrition Label Samuel Kessler—Getty Images  by [Alice Park](https://time.com/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Senior Correspondent Jun 17, 2015 6:00 PM UTC The latest study gives support to the [Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to phase out](http://time.com/3922583/trans-fats-hydrogenated-oils/) the fats in three years. In a report published Wednesday in the journal _PLOS One_, researchers say that eating any amount of trans fats, such as those found in processed baked goods and cookies and some margarines, can wreak havoc on your memory. Dr. Beatrice Golomb, professor of medicine at University of California San Diego, and her colleagues analyzed diet information on 1018 healthy men and women who were part of a study on cholesterol-lowering drugs. The participants answered detailed information about what they ate, including how their food was prepared, and the scientists then calculated the amount of trans fats the volunteers consumed based on their responses. Each participant also took part in a word recall test to measure their memory; they were presented with a series of word cards; the first time they saw a set of 104 cards, then they saw another set in which only 22 words remained the same, and were asked to identify which were new and which were repeats. **MORE:** [This Is Why FDA Is Banning Trans Fats](http://time.com/3922629/this-is-why-fda-is-banning-trans-fats/) When the researchers matched up trans fat consumption with performance on the memory test, they found that those with the highest trans fat in their diet labeled the most words incorrectly. And, this effect seemed to be worse among younger volunteers than older ones. “These results fit with other work showing that trans fats are key to brain function, including mood and behavior,” says Golomb. “And now we have another outcome showing that they adversely impair cell energy and oxidative stress.” **MORE:** [You’re Eating More Trans Fat Than You Think, Study Finds](http://time.com/3206187/trans-fat-packaged-food/) While her study didn’t delve into how the trans fats are impeding memory, there is ample evidence that trans fats promote oxidative damage to cells. The presence of the fats can lead to a higher level of unstable oxygen molecules which can in turn destabilize DNA, proteins and other fats, prompting affected cells to die off. Some studies show that the memory center of the brain, in the hippocampus, is particularly vulnerable to such changes, which could explain the results Golomb saw. The fact that the younger participants seemed to show worse effects than older ones may simply reflect the fact that older people are already experiencing declines in memory due to other, cumulative effects of brain injury, from poor sleep to a lifetime of traumatic injuries. In older people, the difference in memory changes won’t be as robust as they are in younger people. **MORE:** [Trans Fats Are Hiding All Over Your Grocery List](http://time.com/3894216/trans-fat-hydrogenated-oil/) Essentially, for every gram per day of dietary trans fat the participants ate, the volunteers were able to accurately recall 0.76 fewer words. The FDA currently allows companies whose products contain 0.5g of trans fats to label them as having zero trans fats; even if a person eats eight such products (a reasonable amount, considering they’re found in canned chili, frozen cheesecake and popcorn) for a total of 8g of trans fats, that would mean they might remember three fewer words on the memory test on average. “That association does not appear to be tiny in my view,” says Golomb. “There is no good consumption or exposure level; there is no positive purpose in my view of trans fat consumption,” says Gololmb. The FDA, it seems, finally agrees. ## Transcript [00:00] The FDA announced it is moving towards a ban of trans fat. [00:04] Here's what you need to know. [ MUSIC ] Trans [00:11] fat is the byproduct of partially hydrogenated oils. We get [00:15] trans fat when, under specific conditions, manufacturers [00:19] bubble hydrogen gas through oil, and turn the liquid oil into [00:23] a substance with any thickness they want [ MUSIC ] This [00:27] not only gives food a desired texture, but it also increases [00:30] the shelf life of processed foods, like cookies, frozen pizza, [00:34] and doughnuts. However, trans fat [00:38] clogs arteries and increases the risk of heart disease. It's [00:41] estimated that if industry produced trans fat was eliminated, [00:45] 20, 000 heart attacks and 7, 000 heart related deaths [00:49] would be prevented each year. The FDA released a [00:53] preliminary determination that partially hydrogenated oils [00:56] are no longer generally recognized as safe. Without [01:01] this classification, trans fats cannot be added to foods [01:04] without FDA approval. [ MUSIC ] If this is [01:08] finalized, these oils become unapproved food additives, [01:13] and illegal to sell. It'll take some time before trans [01:17] fat are completely out of our food system. Some foods like [01:20] doughnuts, cookies, and frozen pizza still have trans fat. [01:24] So, the FDA is allowing a 60 day commenting period for [01:27] the food industry to suggest a time frame that's realistic for [01:31] them. 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