Why is Fried Food Unhealthy?
It is important to understand the reasons why fried food is unhealthy so that you can make the best meal choices.
Why Do Fried Foods Have So Many Calories?
- When you submerge or coat any kind of food in oil, it will automatically double or triple in caloric value. Oil will cause the fat in the oil to be absorbed into any available space.
What is So Bad About the Oil?
- Most restaurants use hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils for deep frying. These oils are high in trans fat, which can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke. Trans fat is often used to preserve the shelf life of certain food stuffs.
What is the Smoke Point of Oil?
- All oils and fats have a smoke point. This means that at a certain temperature, the chemical structure of the fat or oil will rapidly deteriorate. Eating foods fried in rancid (having a rank, unpleasant smell or taste) oil can have multitude of effects on your health: high cholesterol, hypertension, and protein malfunctions. This will happen regardless of what type of oil is used to fry, be it olive, vegetable, or canola.
What’s Bad About Reused Oil?
- When oil is reused over and over again, the oil continues to breakdown every time it is heated. It’s not only the oil that undergoes a harmful change. Other nutrients can be altered by the heating process.
What About Frying Healthy Foods?
- Unfortunately, regardless of what type of food you’re frying, the process itself will render it unhealthy. Many will think that deep-fried vegetables like mushrooms, broccoli, and zucchini are marginally nutritious. The deep frying process actually destroys a lot of beneficial minerals and vitamins.
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Category: Nutrition, Research and Statistics