High Heat Increases Heart Disease Risk

A recent study warns that cooking food at a high temperature may increase the risk of developing of heart disease. This is due to the toxic chemicals created in foods when cooked on high heat. This research was also carried out to explore why some ethnicities are more apt to develop heart disease than others.
 
When food is cooked at a temperature greater than 150 degrees centigrade, it modifies the chemical structure and can produce toxic products known as neo-formed contaminants (NFCs). Trans-fatty acids are formed when oils break down as a result of foods being fried at high temperatures. These are banned from food sales in different sections of the world, as they are perceived as being harmful. Other toxins created are advanced glycation end-products.

The University of Edinburgh lead an international team and performed a review of previous studies that explored the effects of NFCs on animal and human tissue. They also investigated the relationship between NFCs and heart disease risk. The findings showed that frying and roasting at high heat, which is common in South Asian countries, for instance, ultimately creates high levels of trans-fatty acids, particularly if the oil is reused. This is true for urbanized South Asians such as Pakistani, Indian, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi populations. 

Men born in Pakistan have a 62 percent higher risk of dying from a heart attack in comparison to those born in England and Wales. It is also possible that the increase in risk could be linked to a higher rate of diabetes in certain communities. These findings can be especially important in a country like Scotland, which has heart disease rates which are among the world’s highest.

The researchers also found that the lower heart disease rates in China appeared to be because their common method of cooking is steaming, braising, or boiling. Those methods do not create high levels of toxicity.  In Chinese stir fry, only a dash of oil is used together with splashes of water. Realizing that dark soy sauce can be harmful, they  mostly use light soy and very little oil and few spices.

University of Edinburgh professor Raj Bhopal stated  "We still don't know why some ethnic groups are more susceptible to heart disease and this could be part of the answer to this mystery. It is exciting because if our findings are proven to be correct, we could make a real impact on rates of heart disease within a generation.

He went on to state "We've found some evidence to back up this view but more research will be needed to confirm the findings before we can make any recommendations for changing national guidelines on a healthy diet.