To fry or not to fry?

Dr Douglas Street , Contributor

Most of us love fried foods, and more than often, we have been bombarded with stories about what fried foods can do.

But is frying food always a bad thing? Is it just a bunch of artery-clogging 'goodness'?

Frying is a method of cooking which involves heating food either partially or fully immersed in oil, the latter being referred to as deep-fry. Frying removes water from the food and increases the fat content giving a crunchy consistency, which enhances the taste.

Unfortunately, the oil is also altered when heating. It combines with the oxygen in the air that makes it unhealthy. This also increases the amount of trans-fat.

So one would think that once food is fried, then automatically, it is going to increase the risk of heart attacks or strokes. But interestingly, enough recent studies indicate that is not necessarily the case.

REUSED OIL

Past studies, which suggest harm from fried foods, have been based on often reused soya bean oil. These show higher risk of hypertension and even heart attacks. Other studies on fried foods on a whole show increased risk of obesity and lower levels of 'good' cholesterol.

When oil is reused, especially over and over, the unhealthy portion of it increases as it spends a longer time exposed to the heat and air. If the food is deep-fried, as is done in fast-food restaurants, then a greater amount of this oil is absorbed into the food.

Frying with solid, animal-based fats such as lard and butter has also been shown to make food less healthy.

The good news is, though, that frying doesn't have a significant negative effect on your health. As a matter of fact, when healthy oils are used - such as olive and sunflower oil - many of these negative effects are not seen. There is no increase in heart attacks, abnormal heart rhythm, total cholesterol, bad cholesterol, narrowing of the arteries, or early death.

So what's the final word, especially for fried food lovers? If you are going to fry, do so in moderation, choose a healthy oil, and do not reuse oil. It's also usually best to avoid heating oil to the point that it smokes.

Dr Douglas Street is a general practitioner and has private practices at Trinity Medical Centre, Trinity Mall, 3 Barnett Street, Montego Bay, and Omega Medical Centre, Plaza de Negril, Negril. Send feedback to drdougstreet@yahoo.com.