May 05, 2015
International Journal of Cardiology
TAKE-HOME MESSAGE
- The authors of this systematic review sought evidence on the association between the consumption of fried foods and the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD). The current evidence does not support the commonly held view that all fried foods should be prohibited in the primary prevention of IHD.
- It appears that the quality of the food is more important than the quantity, and that the combination of foods may impact the apparent unhealthy effects. People following a Mediterranean diet may be impacted differently by fried foods compared with those following a Western diet.
Abstract
Several lines of evidence convincingly attest that the so-called Mediterranean diet exerts a number of beneficial effects on the cardiovascular risk. A typical Mediterranean diet entails large quantities of fruits and vegetables, balanced by low intake of meat, carbohydrate-enriched products and fried foods. The consumption of fried food is conventionally considered unhealthy due to the fact that frying impairs the chemical properties of food or oil, increases the overall content of trans fats and decreases that of unsaturated fats.