Fried Fish Increases Stroke Risk

Individuals who eat fried fish dramatically increase their risk of stroke, according to a new study published online in the journal Neurology. The findings also concluded people living in the "Stroke Belt" states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee are 10 times more likely to have a stroke
.
The study, part of the long-running REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) trial, surveyed 21,675 people over the age of 45 between January 2003 and October 2007 and found that residents of these states are 30 percent more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish each week.Fewer than one in four participants consumed two or more servings of non-fried fish per week; people in the stroke buckle were 17 percent less likely to meet the recommendations than those in the rest of the country
.
The study found that blacks were more than 3.5 times more likely to eat fried fish per week than Caucasian, with an overall average of about one serving per week of fried fish for blacks compared to half of a serving for Caucasians
.
"These differences in fish consumption may be one of the potential reasons for the racial and geographic differences in stroke incidence and mortality," said the researchers
.
Studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, especially fatty fish, may reduce the risk of stroke, but other research has shown that frying food reduces the amount of these fats and replaces them with artery-clogging saturated fats.

Sources:

• University of Alabama at Birmingham: America’s “stroke belt” partially fueled by fried fish, say UAB researchers