recall of words that they had been asked to remember
dropped by 0.76 words.^41 Those who ate the most trans fats
recalled twelve fewer words than those who consumed no
trans fats at all.
Think you’re safe just by avoiding hydrogenated oils?
The mere processing of polyunsaturated fats creates trans
fats—researchers have found small amounts of them lurking
within the bottles of many commonly sold cooking oils.
Even organic, expeller-pressed canola oil is as much as 5
percent trans fat. We consume on average about 20 grams
of canola or other vegetable oil per person per day. That’s 1
gram of trans fat right there.
By avoiding corn, soy, and canola oils (and products
that are made with them) as I’ve outlined earlier in the
chapter, and any oil that has been “hydrogenated” or
“partially hydrogenated,” you are covering your bases to
ensure that not a trace of man-made trans fat enters your
system.
Fat: The Nutrient Ferry
A final but incredibly important benefit of adding more
good fats to your diet (in the form of fat-rich foods like
eggs, avocado, fatty fish, and extra-virgin olive oil) is that
fats facilitate the absorption of critical fat-soluble nutrients
like vitamins A, E, D, and K, as well as important
carotenoids like beta-carotene. These nutrients have wide-
ranging effects on the body, from protecting against DNA
damage to guarding the fats that are already present in your