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18th April 2004 Junk food clogs children's brains New research says that too many fatty foods in our children's diet can cause permanent damage to their developing brains. The warnings follow investigations into how we are affected by 'bad fats', man made trans-fatty acids - the by-products of the process that allows manufacturers to extend the shelf life of foods by using cheap, solidified vegetable oils instead of expensive animal fats Current recommendations for maximum intake are 4.4 grams of trans fats a day for women and 5.6 grams a day for men. However, research suggests that one gram eaten daily over many years can raise the risk of heart disease. Previous studies have shown rodents on high-fat diets are slower to learn new skills and suffer memory problems. Many youngsters have diets consisting of high fat quantities. Dr Alex Richardson, of the University Laboratory of Physiology in Oxford and co-director of the Food and Behaviour Research charity, said trans fats displace healthy fats in the brain. They then become incorporated into the brain's structure and affect the functioning of signalling systems between cells. "Every time children eat crisps, biscuits or cakes they are filling themselves with what are essentially toxic fats," she said. "There are no health benefits and many health costs to these hydrogenated fats, yet they are all that some children and adults are eating. They are replacing the essential fats that would make their brain and body work properly with ones that are clogging up the machinery. "Trans fats are a by-product of industrial processes but nobody has done any research on what they do to the human brain. "We have all been unwitting guinea pigs." Nutritionist Patrick Holford of The Brain Bio Centre for tackling mental health problems through nutrition, agrees. "Trans fats can get incorporated into the brain but they do not allow the signals to flow in the normal way," he said. "In layman's terms the brain gets thicker - and in practical terms it makes you thicker." Some manufacturers have already taken action after rising concerns about trans fats. McVitie's is changing its biscuit recipes while Masterfoods has removed the fats from the Mars Bar. Nestle has done the same with Rolos and Toffee Crisp sweets. Where to next?
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