Another Stroke Culprit: Fried Fish

A wide swath of the South has long been known as the “stroke belt” because it has higher rates of stroke and other cardiovascular illnesses than the rest of the country. Now researchers are suggesting one culprit: fried fish.

Fish contain omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce the risk for stroke, and the American Heart Associationrecommends at least two fish meals per week. But deep-fat frying destroys these natural fatty acids and replaces them with cooking oil.

Scientists writing online in the journal Neurology analyzed the diets of more than 21,000 people nationwide. They found that people in eight stroke belt states — North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana — ate a three-ounce serving of fish an average of twice a week, roughly the same as people elsewhere. But they were 32 percent more likely to have that fish fried. Nationally, African-Americans ate more fish meals than whites, and twice as much fried fish.

Read the full story in The New York Times.