Contrary to widely-held beliefs, eating fried foods doesn't increase your risk of heart disease.  The type of oil and the country you live in does.

There is good news out there for all of us french fry eaters: researchers have found no connection between eating fried foods and suffering from heart disease. Okay, before you run out and feast on your favorite fried eats there is a caveat — there is no risk as long as you use the right oil, and perhaps live in the right country.

The study makes for interesting reading.

The study, conducted in Spain and published in the British Medical Journal, followed 40,000 Spaniards over the course of 11 years. The participants averaged 138 grams of fried food per day, including the 14 grams of olive oil used for frying. They found that at least one incidence of heart disease — such as a heart attack or a blocked artery — occurred in a mere 606 people over the course of the study. The researchers determined that, "In Spain, a Mediterranean country where olive or sunflower oil is used for frying, the consumption of fried foods was not associated with coronary heart disease or with all cause mortality."

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