How Fried Foods Affect Your Heart Health

Fried foods are a delicious part of many cuisines, but eating too many of them can have health consequences. For a long time, researchers have studied the correlation between eating a lot of fried foods and poor heart health. Here, we’ll discuss the latest research on fried foods and dive into why they can be harmful.

What are fried foods?

When you fry food, it’s cooked entirely in hot oil and dehydrated, producing a crispy, dry, and golden result. 

You can fry just about any food. Some popular fried foods are French fries, fried chicken, and mozzarella sticks. It’s not uncommon to even find fried vegetables.

How does a food change when you fry it?

Not only does frying food give it a new taste and texture, but it also gives it a different nutritional makeup. 

Because fried foods are made by absorbing oil, the result is a high-fat product. If the oil used is animal-derived, like lard or bacon grease, the resulting fried food will also be higher in cholesterol. What’s more, frying foods can significantly increase their calorie content.

When oils are reused over and over for frying, which is often the case in fast-food restaurants, they break down and can result in the food absorbing even more oil. This further contributes to their negative impact on heart health. 

What happens to your heart when you eat fried foods?

Fried foods are high in saturated and trans fats, which are known to increase blood cholesterol levels and damage the walls of your arteries. These damaged areas in your blood vessels eventually develop plaque, narrowing the artery and making it harder to pump blood. 

It might be helpful to think of your arteries as pipes in a plumbing system. Over time, pipes tend to develop buildup from grime and debris, which eventually leads to clogs. When this process happens in your arteries, it’s called “atherosclerosis.” Atherosclerosis puts you at increased risk for multiple heart conditions. 

Recently, in a meta-analysis of 19 studies, researchers examined this phenomenon by reviewing diet and health data on more than 1.2 million people. They found a strong link between eating fried foods and an increased risk for coronary artery disease (CAD), major cardiac events (like heart attack), heart failure, and stroke.

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How does fried food increase your risk of heart attack? 

A heart attack, also called a “myocardial infarction,” is when a blockage in your artery prevents the heart muscle from receiving enough blood. The main cause of a heart attack is CAD, which is caused by the buildup of cholesterol-containing plaque in the arteries that feed blood to the heart, causing a blockage. Because eating fried foods can increase this buildup, doing so can put you at a greater risk for a heart attack. 

In fact, research shows that eating fried foods can increase your risk of having a major cardiovascular event, like a heart attack, by up to 28%. 

How does fried food increase your risk of stroke?

Like with a heart attack, plaque buildup in the arteries that carry blood to the brain can cause a stroke. When the blood supply to your brain is limited, it can lead to brain damage due to a lack of oxygen and nutrients. You can also experience a stroke if a piece of the plaque breaks off and travels to the brain. 

High consumption of fried foods may increase your risk of having a stroke by approximately 37%. 

Is there an OK amount of fried foods you can eat?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans discourages people from eating fried food, but it offers no specific limits on how much might be OK to consume.

If you’re looking for a healthier alternative, choose grilled, boiled, roasted, and steamed foods and, if possible, reduce your fast-food intake. But if fried foods are an important part of your lifestyle, there are some tips to follow to make them healthier — more on that below. 

How can I make fried foods healthier?

It’s understandable not to want to say goodbye to fried foods. That said, you can take steps to get the satisfaction of fried foods with fewer of the health consequences. These include: 

• Frying foods in unsaturated fats like olive oil 

• Keeping your oil clean (limiting your re-use of oil)

• Adding carbonated liquid or baking soda to your batter (this will decrease oil absorption)

• Shortening frying time by cooking at temperatures of 325°F-400°F (less time means less oil absorption)

• Draining cooked food on paper towels (removing excess oil) 

For an even healthier option, hop on board the new air frying trend, which mimics the results of deep-frying using only hot air and little or no oil. When air frying, choose any of the foods you would typically fry — from potatoes to chicken. 

What else can I do to improve my heart health?

Remember, heart health isn’t determined by eating one food alone. Keeping your heart healthy involves several preventive approaches, including:

• Practicing stress management techniques

• Getting assessed regularly for your risks of developing heart disease 

• Exercising regularly

• Not smoking

• Consuming a healthy diet (more vegetables and whole grains, less saturated and trans fats and sugar)

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Ana Reisdorf, MS, RD

Ana Reisdorf has 14 years of experience as a registered dietitian. She graduated with her masters in clinical nutrition from Central Michigan University.

Edited by:

Kelsey Abkin

Kelsey Abkin has been working as a journalist since 2016. She has held many titles throughout her career, including editor, content strategist, digital strategist, and writer.

Reviewed by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

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