Commenting on a recent study, experts have suggested that fried food may not cause an increase in the risk of heart disease, but only if it is cooked on olive or sunflower oil.
The 11 year study from the Autonomous University of Madrid looked at the diet of over 40,000 adults. None suffered from heart disease at the beginning of the study and at the end, there had been 606 heart disease related events.
However, the researchers were unable to find a link between eating fried food and heart disease.
Experts point out that the study involved people eating a Mediterranean-style diet and suggest that it is the type of oil that is used for frying food that affects the risk of heart disease. A Mediterranean-style diet has long been considered healthy as it feaures high amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as fresh fish.
A spokesperson from the British Heart Foundation pointed out that the type of oil used by the people in the study was more likely to be sunflower oil or olive oil. These oils contain unsaturated fats and they recommend using them instead of lard, butter and palm oil.
Victoria Taylor from the British Heart Foundation warned: “Regardless of the cooking methods used, consuming foods with high fat content means a high calorie intake. This can lead to weight gain and obesity, which is a risk factor for heart disease. A well-balanced diet, with plenty of fruit and veg and only a small amount of high fat foods, is best for a healthy heart.”