January 25, 2012, British Medical Journal
Eating food fried in olive or sunflower oil is not associated with heart disease or premature death. This is the conclusion of the Spanish researchers.
The authors emphasize, however, that their study was conducted in Spain, a Mediterranean country where olive or sunflower oil is used for frying, and the findings probably do not extend to other countries where solid and recycled oils are used for frying.
In Western countries, frying is one of the most common cooking methods. When food is fried, the food absorbs the fat from the oils. Excess fried foods can increase your chance of developing certain heart conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. The link between fried foods and heart disease has not been fully explored.
So scientists from the University of Madrid studied the cooking methods of 40 adults aged 757 to 29 over an 69-year period. None of the participants had heart disease when the study began.
Trained interviewers asked the participants about their diet and cooking habits.
Participants were conditionally divided into four groups, the first of which included people who consumed the least amount of fried foods, and the fourth – the largest amount.
In the following years, there were 606 incidents of heart disease and 1134 deaths.
The authors conclude: “In a Mediterranean country where olive and sunflower oils are the most commonly used fats for frying and where large amounts of fried foods are consumed both at home and out, no association was observed between consumption of fried foods and the risk of coronary disease. heart or death.”
In an accompanying editorial, Professor Michael Leitzmann of the University of Regensburg in Germany, says the study debunks the myth that “fried foods are generally bad for the heart,” but emphasizes that it “does not mean that regular fish and chips are not necessary.” any health effects.” He adds that specific aspects of the effect of fried food depend on the type of oil used.