You may have heard that cooking well-fried foods with an air fryer using less oil is healthier. However, experts warn about a carcinogenic compound that forms during cooking. So, how safe is cooking with an air fryer?
Is the Air Fryer Healthy?
The air fryer is a popular kitchen appliance used to cook a variety of foods like french fries, meat, chicken, and fish. It uses hot air circulation to cook food, creating a crispy surface on the outside of the prepared dishes.
Using an air fryer requires only one tablespoon of oil for frying. This means that foods cooked with hot air contain less fat and calories, making them potentially healthier compared to deep-fried foods.
The Air Fryer Reduces the Formation of Harmful Compounds
So far, there have been no reported cases of cancer caused by using an air fryer, which somewhat answers the question of whether the air fryer is healthy. However, this does not mean there is no cancer risk. The frying process using this technology releases a compound called “acrylamide,” classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” Acrylamide forms when foods reach 120°C.
Foods like french fries and baked goods contain the highest levels of acrylamide, while fish, meat, chicken, and vegetables contain lower amounts of this compound.
No permanent damage in humans from this compound has been observed to date. Therefore, it is unlikely that the amount of acrylamide consumed from daily-cooked foods leads to cancer.
Scientists say using this product is 90% less risky than traditional deep frying. More research is needed to determine whether cooking with this technology causes harmful compounds to pose any health risks.
Regarding whether the air fryer is healthy, it can be said that using an air fryer reduces the amount of fat, calories, and potential harm in foods compared to deep frying.
It is also a sensible way to prepare other nutritious foods like broccoli or eggs, not just meat and potatoes. So yes! Cooking with this technology is much healthier than frying food in large amounts of oil.
What do you think about this technology? Do you think the air fryer is healthy? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
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