If you’re trying to adopt a more healthful lifestyle or when it comes time for you to lose weight, one of the first pieces of advice that people will often give you is to stop eating fried foods. Because of that, this tip might seem rather obvious for people who are dieting. However, have you ever wondered exactly why that specific form of food is often on the no-no list?
After all, this is one of the most flavorful forms of cooking, so if the body seems to love it so much, why is it that we should stop eating fried foods? Are they really that bad?
The truth of the matter is that it isn’t just the calorie count that can be problematic with fried foods. There is a great deal more to this problem, as well.
The following are the top 5 reasons you should stop eating fried foods…or at least reduce the number and frequency that you’re eating.
Calories – yes, you knew it was going to make this list. So let’s just get it over with. Fried foods are cooked in oil. Regardless of the type of oil, this method of cooking will spike the calorie count of every single bite you take. Moreover, when you eat too much oil, it also cuts into the natural oxidants and minerals the body needs. Therefore, it’s not only high in calories, but they’re destructive calories that can cut into the rest of the nutrition you consume. This makes it more difficult for the body to function and reduces its ability to burn fats.
Unhealthy oils – it’s true that there is such thing as “good fat” when it comes to the foods you’re eating. Avocados, olive oil and flax are some examples of very healthful fats. However, these are not the types of oils and fats that are used for frying foods. The oils that are used place the body under oxidative stress and can lead to issues such as hypertension, high cholesterol, glucose intolerance and protein malfunction.
Increased cancer risk – regularly eating a diet high in fried foods can also raise the risk of developing cancer. Not only are fried foods traditionally low in nutrition density, but frying can also alter the structure of any nutrients that they do contain. This breaks down and changes vitamins and minerals, making them less useful to the body – or even toxic. The greater the toxicity in the body and the lower the overall nutrition, the greater the risk of certain cancers.
Kidney strain and damage – fried food contains a surprising amount of harmful fats, toxins and other problematic compounds. A little bit won’t usually cause much of a problem. However, eaten in large amounts on a regular basis, this can place a considerable amount of strain on the organs responsible for the body’s filtration, such as the kidneys and even the liver.
Heart disease risk – eating greasy foods on a regular basis increases the risk of both heart disease and high cholesterol.
