We all know that fried foods are bad for our health, but “just how bad?” US researchers found that people who eat lots of fried food and sugary drinks have a 56 percent increased risk of heart attack or heart-related disease compared to those who eat healthier. This finding were based on a six-year study of more than 17,000 people in the United States.
“Regardless of your gender, race, or where you live, if you frequently eat fried foods, eggs, processed meats like bacon and ham and sugary drinks, you should be aware of your risk of heart disease and try to make some gradual changes to your diet,” said lead researcher James Shikany, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Division of Preventive Medicine.
When food is fried, its nutritional content changes. Water is lost, and fat is absorbed, increasing the food’s energy density. Fried food contains more calories than if it had been baked or boiled. The oil in which the food is cooked deteriorates during frying, especially when it is reused, and becomes oxidized and hydrogenated, losing unsaturated fats and increasing trans fats. Chemical constituents in the food undergo chemical reactions with the oil to produce new compounds, some of which may have impact health.
Frying food certainly adds calories, and over time, this will cause weight gain. Numerous studies have found that high consumption of fried foods is associated with general and central obesity. It has also been found that several fried foods contain traces of a toxic chemical called Acrylamide which can induce cancer formation in the body.
We know that fried food is delicious but it is deadly if you eat too much of it. Looking at the findings as a whole, as well as the evidence upon which they are based, you should think twice before eating fried foods from now on.
