Even a small serving of fried foods can increase the risk of heart disease, study finds

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Each additional 114-gram or 4-ounce (½ cup) weekly serving of fried food increased the risk of heart attack and stroke by 3%, heart disease by 2% and heart failure by 12%, according to study. An average serving of McDonald’s fries, for example, weighs 117 grams.

No association was found for deaths from cardiovascular disease or any cause, but the researchers said this could be due to the relatively small number of some studies.

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When food is fried, it absorbs some of the fat from the oil, potentially increasing calories. Plus, fried and commercially processed foods can often contain trans fats, created by an industrialized process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid (think semi-soft margarine and shortening).

The food industry loves trans fats because they are cheap to produce, last long, and give foods a delicious taste and texture.

Besides fried foods, you’ll find trans fats in coffee creamers, cakes, pie crusts, frozen pizzas, cookies, crackers, cookies, and dozens of other processed foods.

The US Food and Drug Association banned trans fats in 2015, but extended deadlines for the industry – the latest gave companies until June 18, 2019 to stop manufacturing food and until January 1, 2021 to that these products work in their own way. on the market.

However, there is still a loophole. The FDA allows companies to label a food as “0 grams” of trans fat if a serving of the food contains less than 0.5 grams.

If people eat multiple servings of these foods, small doses can quickly add up, experts say, contributing to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other conditions, such as dementia.
According to the American Heart Association, trans fats raise your bad cholesterol levels and lower your good cholesterol. The AHA recommends replacing trans fats in fried and processed foods with monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, such as olive and canola oil.
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Only an association

Despite the evidence for the health impact of trans fats, this meta-analysis of studies can only show an association between the consumption of fried foods and cardiovascular risk.

“The results of this study are consistent with current guidelines for limiting the consumption of fried foods, but cannot be considered to provide definitive evidence on the role of fried food consumption in cardiovascular health,” said Alun Hughes, professor of cardiovascular physiology and pharmacology at University College. London, in a statement. Hughes did not participate in the study.

This is because most studies of this kind respond to study participants’ recollection of the amount and type of fried foods eaten, which is subject to error. Additionally, high consumption of fried foods is likely to be associated with overeating and obesity, lack of exercise, and other unhealthy behaviors that can contribute to heart disease, experts said.

“If the relationship is causal, we cannot assume that this association is definitely due to the fat content of the foods, as many of these foods are highly processed and often contain both fat and carbohydrate,” said said registered dietitian Duane Mellor, senior professor at Aston Medical School in Birmingham, UK.

“So, when considering this type of study, it is important to consider that while reducing fat intake is a logical part of a healthy diet, it is also important to look at which foods are consumed in its place, ”said Mellor, who was not involved in the study.

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