Why Are Fried Foods Bad for You?

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Deep frying is a common food preparation method that is widely used by fast-food chains and restaurants as it is a quick and inexpensive way to prepare food. Deep frying is also versatile as you can deep fry fish, french fries, chicken strips, and cheese sticks. Essentially, the variety of ingredients to deep fry is endless. However, these fried food are high in calories and trans fats that can cause negative effects on your health in the long run. Want to know if you should avoid fried food? Read on!

High in calories

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Deep frying adds a lot of calories to your meals as compared to other cooking methods. Fried foods are usually prepared by coating the food in batter or flour before frying them. When the foods are being deep-fried in oil, they tend to lose water and absorb additional fats which increases the calorie content. For example, if you were to bake one small potato (100 grams), it will only contain 93 calories and 0 grams of fat, while the same amount of french fries (100 grams) contains 319 calories and 17 grams of fat. This goes to show that deep-frying your food increases the number of calories and fats to your meals as compared to other cooking methods.

High in trans fats

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Trans fats are formed when unsaturated fats undergo a process called hydrogenation. Food manufacturers often hydrogenate fats to increase shelf life and stability of the food, but hydrogenation is also formed when heating oil to high temperatures when cooking. Hydrogenation is harmful to the body as it changes the chemical structure of fats which makes it difficult for your body to break it down. When these fats are consumed, they can lead to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.

Increase your risk of diseases

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According to several studies, it has shown that there's a strong correlation between eating fried food and developing chronic diseases. People who consumed more fried foods have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

In conclusion, fried foods are bad for your health as they are high in calories, trans fat, and increase your risk of diseases. There are alternatives to deep frying that are healthier like baking and steaming which you can try. This will help to reduce the calories and fats from your diet significantly!

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