Why is fried chicken classified as junk food and how does it affect health?

Hazards of fried food

The harm of fried food is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

1. Poor sanitary conditions

The hygiene issues of fried foods bear the brunt, especially in China where hygiene standards are not regulated. There are two levels of hygienic issues with fried food: First, the raw materials they use for frying are unhygienic. Many of the fried raw materials are almost spoiled or already spoiled. Second, the oil used is unhygienic. Many unscrupulous street vendors often use gutter oil to fry food. Even though some vendors use qualified cooking oil, in order to save costs, they often heat the oil to high temperatures repeatedly, causing the oil to become charred and blackened, which undoubtedly increases the content of carcinogens and harmful substances. In addition, since fried foods are cooked at high temperatures in a very short period of time, they are often browned (pasted) and hard on the outside but not yet cooked on the inside. Not only is the pathogenic microorganisms in the food not effectively killed, it is easy to Diseases such as intestinal parasites occur.

2. Lead to obesity

Fried food, whether it is Western fast food or our old traditional Chinese fried dough sticks and fried cakes, are high-fat foods. It smells fragrant in the nose, feels good in the mouth, and can be put into the stomach. High fat is not conducive to digestion, not only affects your gastrointestinal tract, but also leads to obesity. In this society where slimness is regarded as beauty, one would rather starve to death than live fat. And obesity can also bring more health problems. Instead of spending money every day to lose weight, it is better to control your diet.

3. Toxic and harmful substances are produced

Repeated heating of grease at high temperatures will produce toxic and harmful substances. Because after repeated heating of oil at high temperatures, the unsaturated fatty acids in it produce polymers—dimers and trimers—that are highly toxic. Most fried and baked foods, especially French fries, contain high concentrations of acrylamide, commonly known as protoxin, which is a carcinogen.

4. Nutrients are seriously damaged

Food is fried at high temperatures, and various nutrients in it are seriously destroyed. High temperatures cause protein to become charred and deteriorate, thereby reducing nutritional value. High temperatures can also destroy fat-soluble vitamins in food, such as vitamin A, carotene and vitamin E, hindering the body's absorption and utilization of them.

5. The aluminum content seriously exceeds the standard.

Many people often eat fried dough sticks and fried dough cakes for breakfast. However, due to the addition of loosening agent alum, the aluminum content seriously exceeded the standard. Excessive intake of aluminum can be harmful to the human body. Aluminum is an amphoteric element, which means that aluminum can react with acids and alkalis. The compounds formed after the reaction are easily absorbed by the intestines and can enter the brain, affecting the intellectual development of children, and may Causes Alzheimer's disease. In addition, when making fried dough sticks, the dough is highly alkaline after being treated with alum, causing the loss of vitamin B1.

6. Induce diseases

Fried food contains a lot of fat and is not easy to digest. Regular consumption of fried food can cause indigestion, chest fullness, and even nausea after eating. Vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, etc. People who often eat fried foods are prone to getting angry and constipated due to lack of vitamins and water.

Fried chicken is one of the signature foods of many fast food restaurants. The golden and crispy skin, the tender and juicy chicken, and the spicy, salty and numb taste have set off a wave of fried chicken eating among men, women, and children.

The main nutrients of fried chicken include carbohydrates, protein, fat, cholesterol and minerals such as sodium, potassium and phosphorus. Chicken is rich in protein but lacks dietary fiber and other water-soluble vitamins. Fried foods usually have higher calories. Fried chicken is coated with a layer of flour to keep the chicken tender and fried, which has higher calories. Eating one serving of plain fried chicken is almost equivalent to consuming the saturated fat your body needs for a day.

In other words, fried chicken has unbalanced nutrition and high calories. In addition, many fried chicken restaurants taste salty in order to maintain the taste. Eating fried chicken for a long time is not good for your health.