Study: Eating a deep-fried candy bar could increase your stroke risk in minutes


The deep-fried candy bars at the state fair may be hard to resist, but a new study suggests that their health risk may be greater than you realize.
Researchers in Scotland found that eating deep-fried Mars bars — a popular snack in the country — could slow blood flow to the brain, increasing the risk of stroke. The study only looked at 24 participants, and the researchers said the impact on blood flow was "modest," but that still doesn't bode well for deep-fried candy lovers.
Glasgow University researchers found that men with narrow arteries are most at risk. In male participants, blood flow to the brain was "modestly" decreased in as little as 90 minutes, which could affect the risk of stroke.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The study, published in the Scottish Medical Journal, concluded that "deep-fried Mars bar ingestion may acutely contribute to cerebral hypoperfusion in men," though similar effects were not seen in women. However, the study's sample size was small, and more research is needed to confirm the effects of sugary, fatty snacks on the brain.
"We've shown that eating a sugar and fat-laden snack can actually affect blood flow to the brain within minutes," William Dunn, who performed scans on volunteers, told The Daily Record. "This reduction in the reactivity of blood vessels in the brain has previously been linked to an increased stroke risk — but the changes we observed were modest."
Even so, it's probably best to lay off the fried candy.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
Summer in Seattle: Outdoor dining like nowhere else
Feature Featuring a patio with a waterfront view, a beer garden, and more
-
Ari Aster revisits the pandemic, Adam Sandler tees off again and Lamb Chop gets an origin story in July movies
the week recommends The month's film releases include 'Eddington,' 'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'Shari & Lamb Chop'
-
Film reviews: F1: The Movie, 28 Years Later, and Familiar Touch
Feature An aging race car driver gets one last chance, a kid struggles to survive in this '28 Days Later' update, and a woman with dementia adjusts to her new life
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year high
Speed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, change
Speed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
speed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths