Risks of Consuming Reheated Cooking Oil: Evidence from a Rat Study
Consuming foods fried in oil not only adds calories but also poses a number of health risks. Researchers have found that reusing oil for frying, a common practice in many homes and restaurants, increases the risk of neurodegeneration and brain damage.
According to the findings presented at Discover BMB 2024, the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, a diet containing reheated cooking oil leads to a significant increase in neurodegeneration compared to a standard diet.
Rats were divided into five groups. Each group was given either a standard diet alone or a standard diet with the addition of 0.1 ml/day of cold sesame oil or sunflower oil, or heated sesame or sunflower oil for 30 days.
Rats consuming reheated sesame or sunflower oil showed increased oxidative stress and inflammation in the liver and significant damage to the colon. Researchers noted a high level of neurodegeneration in rats consuming reheated oil and their offspring compared to rats on a normal diet. This is attributed to disruption in the liver-gut-brain axis.
“As a result, lipid metabolism in the liver was significantly altered, and the transport of important omega-3 fatty acids to the brain decreased. This, in turn, led to neurodegeneration observed in the brain histology of rats and their offspring consuming reheated food,” the researchers wrote.
However, additional studies on humans are needed to confirm this effect.