Steaming food lowers risk of disease as frying releases toxic by-products

Cooking foods at high temperatures may raise the risk of heart disease, new research suggests.Toxic by-products are created by foods when they are objected to heat above 150 degrees, scientists claim.

Frying and roasting foods causes the highest amounts of neo-formed contaminants to be created – which are banned from many products around the world.Trans-fatty acids are known to raise levels of bad cholesterol in the bloodstream – which is known to increase the risk of heart disease.

But cooking at lower temperatures – such as steaming – could help to cut the chances of developing the leading cause of death disease worldwide.Researchers from the University of Edinburgh reviewed previous studies on the effects of NFCs on human and animal tissue.

They wanted to determine why people from some ethnicities are more likely to develop heart disease even if they move around the world.
The study was published in the journal Nutrition.

Previous research found that men born in Pakistan have a 62 per cent higher chance of dying from a heart attack compared to those born in England and Wales.

They found that certain cooking methods created high levels of trans-fatty acids, especially if the oil is reused.In particular, frying and roasting – common in South Asian countries – were found to produce the highest levels.

But in China – where heart disease rates are lower – cooking commonly involves braising, steaming and boiling.They found these methods don’t give rise to the same level of toxic products.

Lead researcher Professor Raj Bhopal said: “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.

“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.

“The findings could be particularly important in Scotland, where heart disease rates are among the highest in the world.”Researchers call for further studies to investigate the link, which could explain why heart disease rates are higher in communities where traditional cooking methods involve high temperatures.