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Fried foods, although delicious, are not good for the body. Several studies have tied fried foods to obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Now, researchers from a new study have added another health risk: gestational diabetes.

In this study, the research team examined data gathered by the Nurses' Health Study II. This study interviewed roughly 15,000 women regarding their diet. After adjusting for body mass index (BMI), which is a measurement of obesity, the researchers found that women who ate fried food seven or more times per week were 88 percent more likely to have gestational diabetes, which is diabetes that occurs during pregnancy.

The researchers stated that women who ate fried foods from a restaurant were even more likely to get gestational diabetes. According to the team, frying in general can produce inflammatory compounds that can negatively affect health. However, in restaurants, foods are usually fried in oil that has been used throughout the day.

"Refrying may produce more of those detrimental chemicals," stated co-author Cuilin Zhang, MD, an investigator at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, reported by TIME.

Gestational diabetes typically occurs during week 24 of pregnancy and tends to resolve after the baby is born. Although this condition is manageable, it can lead to severe complications if left untreated or treated poorly. Due to the potential risks involved with gestational diabetes, reducing one's fried food intake could be beneficial.

The study, "Women who eat fried food regularly before conceiving are at increased risk of developing gestational diabetes during pregnancy," was published in Diabetologia.