Health Farm

-- Researchers quantify the effects of fried foods on cardiovascular health

Researchers calculate that each additional weekly 114-gram (about 4-ounce) serving of fried food increases the risk of heart failure by 12% and a major cardiovascular event by 3%.

The analysis, published in the journal Heart, is based on a meta-analysis of 19 studies that included diet and health data on more than 1.2 million men and women from around the world.

Predictably, the risk of a cardiovascular event increased among those who ate greater quantities of fried food. There was no evidence suggesting that one kind of fried food was any better or worse than another.

Comparing big eaters with groups who ate much less fried food, researchers discovered that the fried food enthusiasts increased their relative risk of coronary heart disease by 22%, stroke by 37%, heart failure by 37%, death from cardiovascular disease by 2%, and death from any cause by 3%.

The senior author, Dr. Fulan Hu of the Shenzhen University Health Science Centre in Shenzhen, China, offered this advice: “Reduce restaurant meals. Reduce fast-food intake. Use healthier boiling, steaming, baking or grilling cooking methods instead of frying for home-cooked food.”