New Telegraph

Fried food increase risk of heart disease

A new analysis of existing research has found that eating fried foods may increase the risk for major heart disease and stroke. These are the results of a new study published on Monday in the journal ‘Heart’. The research found that compared to those who ate the least, people who ate the most fried food per week had a 37 per cent heightened risk of heart failure. Similarly, compared to those who ate the least, people who ate the most fried food per week had a 28 per cent higher risk of major cardiovascular events, a 22 per cent greater risk of coronary heart disease. Cardiovascular events refer to any incidents that may cause damage to the heart muscle.

The heart is a busy organ, constantly pumping blood filled with oxygen and nutrients through your arteries, into the heart muscle (myocardium). Any interruption of blood flow will lead to an injury, or infarction.

On its part, Coronary heart disease (CHD), or coronary artery disease, develops when the coronary arteries become too narrow. The coronary arteries are the blood vessels that supply oxygen and blood to the heart. CHD tends to develop when cholesterol builds up on the artery walls, creating plaques.

Based on the findings, the researchers said each additional weekly serving of 114 grams or four ounces (½ cup) of fried foods increased the risk for heart attack and stroke by three per cent, heart disease by two per cent and heart failure by 12 per cent. A medium McDonald’s french fry serving, for example, is 117 grams, the ‘cnn’ reported. When food is fried, it absorbs some of the fat from the oil, potentially increasing calories.

In addition, commercially fried and processed foods can often contain trans fats, created by an industrialised process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid (think of semisoft margarine and shortening). According to the report, besides fried foods, you’ll find trans fats in coffee creamer, cakes, pie crusts, frozen pizza, cookies, crackers, biscuits and dozens of other processed foods. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), trans fats raise bad cholesterol levels and lower good cholesterol levels. The AHA recommends replacing trans fats from fried and processed foods with monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, such as olive and canola oil.

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