When it comes to your health, there may be more to consider than just what you are eating – calories, fat content, types of fat, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, and… well, you get the picture. A new study published in the journal Nutrition warns that the temperature at which we cook is as just as important as what we are cooking and how we are cooking it.
Researchers warn that when foods are cooked to high temperatures, they release chemicals linked to an increased risk of heart disease. According to the article, South Asian populations are at four times greater risk of heart disease, citing the propensity of cooking in hot oils at high temperatures. This implies, however, that they type of oil itself is not a factor – or, at least, not as much of a factor as the temperature of the oil may be.
To break it down further, researchers studied the difference between Chinese and Indian populations’ food preparation methods and how they related to health outcomes. Indian food is typically cooked for longer times and at higher temperatures, thus changing healthy oils and making them unhealthy. In addition, reheating oil is a typical practice in Indian culture, a practice which can bring a separate set of health risks.
Although the argument presented in the article seems valid enough, the research is still nonetheless hypothetical, not empirical. As both the article and the original study state, it has not been tested in a broader, more generalizable population. Although this information seems noteworthy, it all “boils down” to what we already know: Deep fried foods are simply not healthy.
When researchers compare the Chinese cooking methods of boiling and lightly frying with Indian methods of “fried batter soaked in sugar syrup,” it seems as though they aren’t comparing apples to apples, or, perhaps, samosa to samosa. So, are the health risks related to cooking methods between populations really comparable even if traditional food preparation methods are not? It would be interesting and perhaps more useful to look at food preparation methods within a specific group rather than between groups in order to limit the genetic and environmental variables which may also contribute to heart disease.
Senthilingham, M. (2016, November 5). Too much heat in the kitchen may increase your risk of
heart disease. Retrieved November 6, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/04/health/high-
temperature-cooking-increases-heart disease-risk/index.html
Kakde, S. (2016, July 25). Urbanized South Asians’ susceptibility to coronary heart disease: The high-heat
food preparation hypothesis. Nutrition. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2016.07.006
i have never understood how Scientific studies will take two completely distinct cultures and cultural foods and make comparisons. Obviously if you take a fried samosa and compare it to a bowl of Chinese pot stickers, there will be differing nutritional values. In this case, the Indian dish comes out looking worse. But let’s compare a fried samosa to a nice barbecued bratwurst from America. The carcinogens in that dish are comparatively more dangerous. Additionally comparing people from the two cultures is difficult. Chinese and Indian peoples would have varying degrees of disease risks in the same manner as Caucasians and African-Americans do.
But overall, let’s talk about cooking methods. While boiling beats frying, sauteing and steaming has been shown to be the “healthiest” manner in which to cook out food. More nutrients are kept in the foods in this manner and meats are less likely to be burned or crisped resulting in carcinogen development.