EPOCH TIMES – Many of our favorite foods, like french fries and fried chicken, are deep-fried. While the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintains that frying oil can be safely reused and stored for up to three months, food service companies recommend changing the oil at least twice a week.
For fryers used less frequently, the oil must be changed once every couple of weeks.
However, reusing frying oil can significantly affect brain health, according to research findings presented in March at the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
The effects of reused oil on the bidirectional communication network between the liver, gut, and brain increased neurodegeneration.
This liver-gut-brain axis plays a crucial role in regulating many physiological functions, and its dysregulation has been associated with neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, multiple sclerosis, and autism.
1st Study to Link Reused Frying Oil to Offspring Brain Damage
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While deep-frying at high temperatures has been linked to metabolic issues, there’s been little long-term research on the health impacts of consuming deep-fried oils, Kathiresan Shanmugam, an associate professor at the Central University of Tamilnadu in India and lead researcher, said in a press release.
He noted that this study was the first to show prolonged consumption of deep-fried oils increases neurodegeneration in offspring.
Researchers divided female rats into five groups, each consuming a different diet for 30 days.
One group ate standard rat chow, while the others ate standard chow supplemented with 0.1 milliliter of unheated sunflower oil, unheated sesame oil, reheated sunflower oil, or reheated sesame oil.
The findings showed that rats consuming reheated oils experienced increased oxidative stress, liver inflammation, and colon damage.
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This led to alterations in liver lipid metabolism and decreased transport of essential brain fatty acids, resulting in neurodegeneration in the rats and their offspring …