The study, published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, provided verifiable, concrete study results that truly show that deep-fried foods block your blood vessels.
This study involved more than 154,000 participants, all of whom were members of the military. Their consumption patterns were observed via the Million Veteran Program, a national research program of the United States' Department of Veteran Affairs Office, which collects data from men and women who have served in the military.
The participants, 90 percent of whom were men, were asked questions such as "How often do you eat fried food at home" and "How often do you eat fried food away from home?" They were then given pre-specified responses to the questions, "Less than once a week," "one to 3 times per week," "four to six times per week" and "Daily." (Related: The REAL reason why you shouldn't eat fried foods: It triggers cancer cells.)
Consuming unhealthy fried foods leads to an earlier death
After being given the questionnaire, the participants' electronic health records were analyzed to determine if any of them developed coronary artery disease down the line.
The researchers, who all work for the VA Boston Healthcare System and were conducting this research on behalf of the VA Million Veteran Program, followed up with the veterans who were on average 64 years old, over a period of around three years. They found that 6,725 "events" related to coronary artery disease occurred and that 6,953 veterans had passed away due to coronary artery disease-related deaths.
The researchers also found that the servicemen and women were more likely to develop coronary artery disease if they consumed fried foods -- even at a rate of just once per week, with the risk increasing the more frequently they consumed the said items.
The results of the study found that for every 1,000 veterans who ate fried food less than once per week, 14.61 of them developed coronary artery disease. This increased to 16.57 among people who consumed them one to three times a week and it rose once more to 18.28 for participants who ate it every day. Furthermore, veterans who were overweight or obese were far more likely to develop coronary artery disease than their healthy counterparts.
While the researchers have faith in the findings of their study, they said that the volunteers self-reported their diets, which could skew the accuracy of the results if they did not truthfully divulge the content of their meals.
Eating habits of veterans in question
Fried foods are filled to the brim with unhealthy substances such as trans fats, which are formed through hydrogenation. Hydrogenation is when chemicals are treated with hydrogen. In foods, this occurs when oils are heated to very high temperatures or if food manufacturers add them to the products to extend their shelf life.
This toxic food process changes the chemical structure of the fats in fried foods, making them more difficult for the body to break down and digest. Other studies conducted on trans fats have found that they increase a person's risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes or dying early in life.
This research has put into question the dietary practices of many people, including veterans, all over the United States. Future research needs to figure out how to get many Americans to transition to better diets, including changing out the kind of oil they use to cook their foods.
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