April 2019

In a recent study done by Wei Bao, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and member of the FOEDRC, his research team found that frequent consumption of fried foods, especially fried chicken and fried fish/shellfish, was associated with a higher risk of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease in women in the United States. Women with at least one serving per week of fried chicken had a 13% higher risk of death from all causes, and a 12% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease, when compared with women with no consumption of fried chicken. Women with at least one serving per week of fried fish/shellfish, had a 7% higher risk of death from all causes, and a 13% higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease, when compared with women with no consumption of fried fish/shellfish.

 Around 25-36% of North American adults consume foods, usually fried, from fast food restaurants every day. Habitual eating of fried foods is modifiable by lifestyle and cooking choices. Future dietary recommendations may include reducing the frequency and amount of fried food consumption to protect the public’s overall and cardiovascular health.

This study published in the British Medical Journal received extensive local and international media coverage including CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/23/health/fried-food-fish-chicken-higher-ris...

Time Magazine: http://time.com/5509669/fried-foods-death-risk/

Health Day: https://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutrition-information-27/foo...

And local media outlets within Iowa. https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/fried-chicken-shellfish-linked-to-higher...