"Leshan fried skewers are recommended to be banned" has caused controversy! Don't worry, do these 3 things and eat skewers healthily!

Leshan, Sichuan, carries the joy of foodies. If you go to Sichuan and don’t eat Leshan fried skewers, it would be as unreasonable as not eating hot pot in Sichuan.

However, recently the topic #Netizens say Leshan fried skewers are unhealthy and suggest banning them# has become a hot search, with the reason being that most fried foods do not meet hygiene standards, are carcinogens, and are unhealthy.

Netizens suggested that the relevant departments should require all fried food shops to sell healthy food instead and ban the Leshan fried skewers that are not good for health.

Tuchong Creative

This... is unnecessary! Wouldn't that mean that you would lose all your happiness? What are the harms of fried foods to the body? If you really like to eat them, how can you minimize the harm?

01

Why are fried foods addictive?

Fried chicken wings, fried potato chips, fried dough sticks, fried spring rolls, fried shrimp chips, fried twisted dough sticks...

Fried food looks appetizing. The frying process causes the food to produce the Maillard reaction, which gives the food a golden appearance and also makes the food exude an enticing aroma, attracting our appetite both visually and olfactorily.

Especially the "crunchy" texture and pleasant sound when you bite it are simply addictive.

So the more I ate, the more I wanted to eat, and before I knew it, I developed an attachment to fried foods and gradually became addicted.

However, eating too much fried food is not good for health and even makes it difficult for people to have a balanced nutrition. Although it satisfies the desire for delicious food, the harm should not be underestimated.

02

What are the dangers of fried foods?

1. High in calories

Frying adds extra calories to food, and the more oil-absorbing an ingredient is, the more extra calories it adds.

For example, the oil absorption rate of fried bread slices is as high as 80%, the oil absorption rate of fried eggs is 43%, and the oil absorption rate of fried eggplants is 14%. [1] Even for vegetables with very low calories, the calories will increase several times after frying.

The consequence of eating frequently is getting fat!

Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2022 Edition

2. Loss of nutrients

Deep frying is a high-temperature cooking method, and many nutrients in food are sensitive to heat. Vitamin B1 is almost completely lost, and most of the vitamin C is also lost.

Vitamin A partially dissolves in oil and is lost, and high-temperature frying will also accelerate the oxidative decomposition of vitamin A. 70% to 90% of the vitamin E in vegetable oil will be destroyed by high-temperature frying. [2]

Eating fried foods frequently increases the risk of malnutrition.

3. Trans fatty acids

Frying temperature, number of repeated frying, moisture content in food, and the characteristics of the oil itself will all affect the production of trans fatty acids.

For example, as the cooking temperature increases, the types and quantities of trans fatty acids in soybean oil will gradually increase.

Trans fatty acids increase the level of "bad cholesterol" in the body and lower the level of "good cholesterol", thereby increasing the risk of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death. [3]

4. Carcinogens

Frying is a form of high-temperature cooking and contains various carcinogens such as acrylamide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and heterocyclic amines.

When frying foods with high carbohydrate content, acrylamide is produced. It is a potential carcinogen and the World Health Organization has classified it as a Class 2A carcinogen after evaluation.

Tuchong Creative

This means: it has been proven to cause cancer in animals, but there is limited evidence that it causes cancer in humans.

When protein-rich foods are fried, heterocyclic amines are produced. Heterocyclic amines can form adducts with the genetic material DNA in the body, thus showing strong carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. The carcinogenicity is 10 times higher than that of nitrosamines, aflatoxin B1 and benzo(a)pyrene. [4]

Incomplete combustion and pyrolysis of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in food can produce polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are carcinogenic, teratogenic, mutagenic and immunotoxic.[4]

5. Pro-inflammatory

Fried foods may promote the body's inflammatory response. Persistent chronic inflammation can harm the body and promote the occurrence of cancer.

6. Skin deterioration

The frying process also produces advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which can promote human aging. The longer the frying time and the higher the temperature, the higher the AGE content. [5]

High-fat foods can also easily promote the body's inflammatory response, making the skin more prone to acne.

03

How to eat healthier?

Even though fried foods are harmful, many people just like to eat them and can't stop. What can we do?

How to reduce the "guilt" of eating fried food and minimize its harm to the body?

1. Don’t eat too often

A foreign study found that eating just 114 grams of fried food per week would increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, such as a 12% increase in the risk of heart failure and a 3% increase in the risk of heart attack and stroke, and this risk showed a linear dose-response relationship. [6]

In other words, the more fried foods you eat, the more harmful it is to your body. But on the other hand, if you eat less, the harm will naturally be less.

However, 114 grams is a small amount, equivalent to 3 fried chicken wings or 2 fried dough sticks or 1 bucket of French fries or 3 or 4 fried spring rolls...

Fried foods are so delicious that it's easy to overeat.

For the sake of your health, even if you like eating fried foods, you have to control the amount and the frequency should be no more than 2 times a month.

2. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables

It is best to eat some fresh fruits and vegetables with fried foods. These foods can provide phytochemicals and vitamin C, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and can reduce the harm caused by fried foods to the body.

If it is inconvenient to cook while shopping, you can bring your own or buy fruits and vegetables that are easy to carry and can be eaten raw.

For example, sweet peppers, colored peppers, cherry tomatoes, tomatoes, kiwis, strawberries, winter dates, and mangoes can be eaten with fried foods.

Tuchong Creative

3. Use an air fryer

If you can make it at home, the air fryer is more recommended, it is a "net celebrity" pot.

Utilizing high-speed air circulation technology, the heat pipes inside the machine are heated at high temperatures to generate hot air, which is then circulated and heated in a closed space to dehydrate the food, achieving a frying effect.

It can fry food without using oil and make the food have a crispy taste, realizing oil-free or low-oil cooking, which is healthier than frying.

In addition, if there are burnt parts on the surface of the food, it is best to tear it off and not eat it in order to reduce the intake of carcinogens.

Summarize:

Although eating fried foods frequently is harmful to your health, enjoying them occasionally can put you in a good mood.

There is no need to criticize fried foods, or you will lose your happiness...

References:

[1] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents[M]. People's Medical Publishing House. 2022

[2] Yang Yuexin, Ge Keyou. Encyclopedia of Chinese Nutrition. People's Medical Publishing House. 2019

[3] Xie Shangcai, Jiang Liqin. Research progress on the harm and mechanism of trans fatty acids on cardiovascular system[J]. Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 2016, 16(02): 134-135+139.

[4] Chen Long, Wang Yi, Cheng Hao, Li Xiaodong, Tian Yaoqi, Jin Zhengyu. Several potential hazards in fried foods and their reduction technologies[J]. Journal of Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology, 2022, 22(02): 376-389. DOI: 10.16429/j.1009-7848.2022.02.040.

[5] Zhang Yaoqiang, He Xinyi, Sun Chao, Zhang Bo. Research progress on the formation mechanism and elimination technology of advanced glycation end products in food processing[J]. Chinese Food, 2021(23):134-135.

[6]Qin P, Zhang M, Han M, et al. Fried-food consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Heart. 2021;107(19):1567-1575. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2020-317883

Author: Xue Qingxin Member of Chinese Nutrition Society Registered Nutritionist Health Manager Public Nutritionist

Review｜Han Hongwei, Director and Researcher of Risk Communication Department, National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center

This article is produced by Science Popularization China. Please indicate the source when reprinting.

The pictures in this article are from the copyright gallery and are not authorized for reproduction.