'Stroke belt' mystery: Fried fish may be to blame for higher death rate

'Stroke belt' mystery: Fried fish may be to blame for higher death rate

www.msnbc.msn.com

Too much fried fish may contribute to the high rate of stroke in America's "stroke belt," according to a new study.

The results showed that people living in the stroke belt — including residents of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana — were about 30 percent more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish every week than those living in the rest of the country, the researchers said.

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In adation to what is listed above, the article goes on to say that fish is suppose to be healthy because of the levels of omega three acids. However, it also says that the the proses of frying may be removing the healthy aspects of the fish. If you live in the stroke belt, or just have another idea of what might be causing the strokes please do let us know what it is.

www.msnbc.msn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Yeah, anything fried is not really good for you anyway, and I know how much so many of my southern brethren love eating anything that's been deep fried in so much trans fat. Fried chicken, french fries, fried steak.... It's almost unavoidable to eat now and then, if only out of courtesy to someone else's cooking, but every time I do some part of me always thinks, "yeeuuck"... and I have to tell myself "I'll make up for it later..."

Another interesting fact, any cooked meat you consume stimulates your body's immune system and white blood cells actually attack the dead meat you consume. I do enjoy fish though, especially raw salmon like they sell at sushi bars. If you like fish and have never tried raw salmon, TRY IT!! It's kind of sweet, and delicious.

I don't think our governments should assume the authority to outright BAN trans fat like some cities have done, but people should take more responsibility for themselves...

Having said that, many people would still probably prefer to eat their friend food and risk a stroke than try to avoid it and live a little longer. Oh well.

reply to post by RedGolem


I doubt it is just the fish. Here in the south almost everything is fried, plus we eat a lot more ham, bacon, sausage et cetera even for dinner. Even in our greens, we toss a big old chunk of fatback in.

Tell you what though, you haven't lived till you've had fresh catfish fried up in a milk breading! Um, umm good!

It's probably a combination of things:
I think to look at stroke one has to look back historically on what people ate, ect....

Growing up people ate a whole lot of bologna. We had a country store and people would buy a pound every day or two. Eating out was KFC for many years - or country joints selling fried livers, it was that and Krystal - and Krystal sold fried chicken. I see folks in the south eating a lot more fried chicken than fish - even now, but historically, you bet! And it was ALL - ALL - ALL fried in CRISCO - hydronated fat - for many years.

Then ok, like, MY FAMILY has a LOT of strokes in it. Always, and then we had a generation where 3 out of 9 died of anyerisms. My family is freaking huge HUGE HUGE. Like - Dugger huge. Heck, my family probably skewed the statistics in Georgia by ourselves. But finally after generations of strokes and then this last generation having all these sudden deaths - they discovered we have a genetic defect in the loop of henle. I had a CT scan and no sign of it in me or my mom.

Not sure but in the South it was always rural up until maybe 30 years ago? And you had these really, really huge families and if you have a few really huge families with defects like this, it could skew the numbers.

Ok, but then we also have this problem in that it is spread out here - and hot - so no one walks much. We get fat - we eat fatty foods and then we don't walk. I go to Atlanta and I see people are a lot more thin, and I lived there a while myself and people walked a LOT more. Sidewalks and things were close enough you could do that. Here if you were to get out and walk to the nearest store, you'd probably have a heat stroke. I can't tell you how far I am from the nearest sidewalk. I don't KNOW where one is.

People here eat out a LOT. It is crazy. I know people that eat out once a day. I know some that eat out more than that! Every meal nearly! My little town has hardly anything except for restaurants. They are everywhere and always packed. I had to order a water filter replacement off the internet b/c I couldn't find one here, but I could drive 5 minutes and find 40 places to eat. It's crazy.

I have a home in coastal SC and have always viewed folk who eat seafood as "sickly" due to bacteria that is in the ocean. Yet all of these coastal towns spout all of their vacation resort info to the rest of the country. If they only knew how much bacteria and other crap they were swimming and wading in, they'd be better off staying at home.

As a native Louisianian I can attest to the love of fried fish....also fried okra, hushpuppies, shrimp, onion rings, chicken and even twinkies and snickers. I don't know if this is unique to the South, but compared to Oregon, where I'm at now, whenever I visit home I noticed the plate portions at restaurants are humungous! In fact, most of my older relatives split a single dish now and feel satisfied in doing so. Part of it has to be the deliciousness of it all too, and we loves da butter and deep fryin', just like Paula Dean does. Most people I knew ate a LOT of bacon too, and I rarely recall any opened 1 pound bacon packages going back in the fridge with some left over for later, most served up a pound at a time...mmmm bacon, ahrl ahrllll

Additionally, I think the belt mentioned also suffers from EXTREME heat during the hot months, which has been known to contribute to strokes. I've had 3 relatives, all who were not overweight, suffer heat strokes, but I don't know if the mechanisms are similar between heat/diet stroke. I guess food stroke has more to do with circulatory cloggage and heat shrinks the vessels maybe, reducing oxygen to the brain?

Regardless, we should all eat better and/or get more exercise, which is tougher in the summer because so many become lethargic when avoiding hot weather. I have always eaten anything I want, but I have always been active and exercising too.

Peace,
spec

ETA: yes, me and most people I grew up with ate fish at least twice a week too, as well as fried chicken once or twice a week...Maybe where you live does have something to do with it, perhaps as a lifestyle attribute. In Oregon I rarely eat fried foods, and most folks are into healthy dishes, both at home and at restaurants. It is strange that I don't hog out so much in Oregon, but man I love visiting Louisiana and when I'm there I gorge out.
So maybe there is more nurture than nature occurring? Moderation, moderation.......

Sounds like it is more a southern thing than a fish thing.

This also goes towards the saying, there are nuggets of truth to all stereotypes.

I haven't live much in the U.S., but I come from southern roots. I visit my family there as often as I can. What stands out is that fried everything was usually on the menu. Even the non fried stuff like black eyed peas or okra had a lot grease or lard.

Originally posted by hotbakedtater
Sounds like it is more a southern thing than a fish thing.

This also goes towards the saying, there are nuggets of truth to all stereotypes.

I was kind of thinking the same thing and that nugget may be a fried nugget.

I'm not sure its just the fish - its probably all the fried stuff in the rest of the meals that really helps too.

Originally posted by mikelee
I have a home in coastal SC and have always viewed folk who eat seafood as "sickly" due to bacteria that is in the ocean. Yet all of these coastal towns spout all of their vacation resort info to the rest of the country. If they only knew how much bacteria and other crap they were swimming and wading in, they'd be better off staying at home.

Bacteria aren't inherently bad for you, just a few kinds of them are. You have about a pound of bacteria in your gut altogether that helps you digest your food, and without which you'd die. Those are the "good bacteria" you need to be healthy, and eating a lot of sugar actually kills them off, one more reason sugar isn't good for you.

There is a lot of pollution, fish poop and whale sperm and god-knows-what-else in seawater and seafood and I don't enjoy the thought of that much either. I always prefer freshwater fish, and preferably from a running stream at that... and one that's not used for industrial waste like many rivers and streams now are. And then there are catfish, which are bottom-feeders and will eat literally just about anything, and I don't like eating catfish either. And how are catfish usually cooked? Fried...

Originally posted by tamusan
Even the non fried stuff like black eyed peas or okra had a lot grease or lard.

I've seen lots of okra that's fried. I wonder where else grease would come from, because I've only seen okra fresh or else deep-fried.

Strokes are blockages in the arteries in the brain caused by a clot or lump breaking off from an artery wall, but there are ways to treat a stroke quickly that will limit the damage to your brain. Noticing the symptoms is critical in regards to early treatment of a stroke, my mother in law took too long getting treatment and was basically incapacitated due to this inaction.

F.A.S.T is the key

* Facial weakness – can the person smile; have their mouth or eyes drooped?
* Arm weakness – can the person raise both arms?
* Speech difficulty – can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
* Time to act – act FAST and call 000 immediately.

Talking to the person can be the simplest way, they will appear to slur words and not make sense.

Originally posted by mazzroth
* Time to act – act FAST and call 000 immediately.

I guess that's the Australian equivalent to the American "911."

We seem to have made an interesting choice for our emergency number, huh?

Your all going to die one day anyways !!!!!!

SO HAVE FUN!!!

EAT AND DO WHAT
you want while your here because you only get one turn on this big ball.

I don't want to live pass 80 anyways..

You can have your slow decaying 90 year old body

i'll take the door out thanks

reply to post by RedGolem


Here is the thing though... in the south, we eat a LOT of fried food... Fish is only the tip of the iceberg...

Fried potatoes... Fried green tomatoes... Fried snicker bars for goodness sakes!

Originally posted by bsbray11
I do enjoy fish though, especially raw salmon like they sell at sushi bars. If you like fish and have never tried raw salmon, TRY IT!! It's kind of sweet, and delicious.

WARNING: CONSUMPTION AND/OR PREPARATION OF RAW SALMON (AND/OR OTHER FRESH WATER FISH) CAN CAUSE INSANITY AND/OR DEATH FROM TAPEWORM INFESTATION.

Sushi Chefs are HIGHLY trained experts who treat the so-called raw salmon in specific ways to kill tapeworm larvae.

If you catch or buy a FRESH wild salmon that has not been freeze-sterilized, and you eat it raw without knowing how to kill the larvae, you WILL be infected and you MAY DIE.

Respect salmon. Respect sushi. And STUDY before you dare try.

You Have Been Warned

reply to post by bsbray11


Allow me to elaborate on my comment...

In Horry county (SC) the "swashes" are large canals that direct rain runoff into the ocean just beyond the breakers of the waves. Included in that is runoff from various sources including a certain amount of sewage from older homes and motels that are grandfathered in the current codes that require sewage be connected to the city's system or a private sewer system. I don't believe that type of bacteria is good for anyone.

Originally posted by HunkaHunka
reply to post by RedGolem

 

Here is the thing though... in the south, we eat a LOT of fried food... Fish is only the tip of the iceberg...

Fried potatoes... Fried green tomatoes... Fried snicker bars for goodness sakes!

You're better off frying bacon than frying fish. Hitting omega 3s with that kind of heat basically turns them into a slow acting poison, or so I've been told.

Bottom line is this. The better it tastes, the worse it is for you.

Who wants to live forever anyway...certainly not without some fried flounder, fried oysters, fried shrimp, french fried potatoes, and slaw...oh, and hushpuppies... and sweet ice tea...oh, and don't forget the banana pudding.

Seriuosly, I don't dismiss fried foods as being a catalyst of strokes.... but also stress. Stress kills more people than a fride catfish.

Oh, and genetics...them genes is something to consider also. My parents are 81 and 76...still quite active and in pretty good health...and they loves them some fried flounder.

Me...I am 47, soon to be 48....good health and work circles around the young men that work at my store...and I love "Calabash" style seafood...you ain't lived till you get a Captain's Platter...all piled up...steamin' hot, fries on the side...slaw...and tarter sauce, cocktail sauce, ...oh, and hot sauce...Texas Pete...

Boy, I am getting hungry...anybody feel like a trip to the coast...down to Kure Beach or Carolina Beach...down to Big Daddy's Seafood?

Did you know that everyone that eats fresh salads and whole grains will die..... that being said, "Please pass the hot sauce."

Another factor to consider in the amount of strokes and heart attacks in the south is Smoking and the use of tobacco products and the environmental pollution from cracking plants/refineries. I would bet much more dangerous than eating fried foods