by Kenneth Andrews

Created on: January 26, 2012

Fried food might not be the heart attack death trap of nutritional lore, according to a new study reported by the BBC. In news which should have them dancing on the streets of Glasgow, researchers found that there was no increased risk of heart disease associated with a diet including fried food using olive oil or sunflower oil.

Is fried food officially good for your health now then? Unfortunately not.

For the study, researchers at the Autonomous University of Madrid surveyed almost 41,000 healthy adults about their diet over an 11 year period, asking participants what they ate and how they prepared it. While 1,134 of the participants had died by the study's conclusion, and individuals from the group had notched up just over 600 'heart disease events', researchers could find no direct link between the deaths, the heart problems, and a diet heavy in fried food.

One conclusion of the study is that the type of oil used for frying might have an effect on the risks posed to cardiac health, with olive oil being a particular favourite in Spain.

Obviously, however, the Madrid team were surveying people with a so-called Mediterranean diet. The Spanish diet may involve some food fried in olive oil, but it is also rich in fresh fish, fruit and vegetables, low in fat and high in fiber. The odd paella might not increase your risk of heart disease, but that's very different from suggesting that UK-style fish and chips or American fried chicken won't damage your health if you eat them too much or too often.

Fried food has a demonic reputation among nutritionists because food tends to become more calorific when fried, absorbing fats from the surrounding oils. Quite apart from the weight control issues this raises, eating food high in fat can raise blood pressure and lead to high cholesterol, which is linked to heart disease.

UK charity the British Heart Foundation has responded to the study by saying that they currently recommend the use of unsaturated fats for frying, such as olive oil or sunflower oil, rather than saturated fats such as butter or palm oil, but they also stress that the best route to a healthy heart is through a well-balanced diet that includes as many fresh fruit and vegetables as possible. The Spanish study points the way to understanding better why the Mediterranean diet is so healthy, but it does not necessarily apply to cuisines in other parts of the world. Put the frying pan down and tuck into salad, as before.

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