A decade ago you probably wouldn’t find any in your friends’ apartments, but In recent years, air fryers have invaded the home appliance market.positioning themselves as economical and healthy alternatives to bake food and get fried products with much less oil, fat and salt than in the normal fryer.
Unlike conventional deep fryers, air fryers cook food by circulating hot air around it, giving ingredients a distinctive crispy texture.
Eating fried foods in a conventional fryer implies health hazards
Opting for an air fryer instead of frequently consuming fried foods of a lifetime brings multiple benefits for your health: a meta-analysis published in January 2021 in the journal BMJ Heart revealed that eating fried foods frequently is linked to heart disease and early death.
Another investigation that came to light in Nutrients highlights that Eating fried foods at least 4 times a week is associated with an increased risk of developing chronic diseases. In summary, that your consumption of fried foods should be occasional and not be part of your daily diet.
This air fryer breaks price records: 4.3L capacity and digital display for less than 60 euros
Also, there’s the problem with the frying oils used in establishments like the big fast food chains is that they’re partially hydrogenated, which creates artificial trans fats, linked to heart problems and a higher risk of death, cancer, obesity or stroke. The WHO is trying to eradicate them.
On the other hand, air fryers require almost no oil, since a small amount is used and you can use healthy alternatives such as extra virgin olive oil. In addition, compared to normal fryers, the latter imply that foods, especially those rich in starch, absorb a lot of oil, increasing the risk of health problems.
So what if I eat air fryer fried foods on a daily basis?
“We don’t have enough research on the risks of eating air-fried foods every day,” he explains to LiveStrong Razan Hallak, a dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Since eating fried foods daily is harmful, Replacing fried fast food with food prepared in the Airfryer can be good for your health.
In addition, the air fryer has more benefits: The first is the reduction of chemicals in food, such as dangerous acrylamides, which appear with foods cooked at high temperatures, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). In mouse studies, elevated exposure to acrylamide has been linked to cancer.
Besides, air frying can help reduce the number of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on food, as it does not carbonize food, as grills and barbecues do. Although much remains to be investigated, it is known that eating a large amount of fried food is linked to increased risk of colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancer.
In the normal fryer, the oil is often reheated a number of times higher than recommended: it is not trivial, since a recent study published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition It also associates oil reheated at high temperatures with lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer.
On the other hand, the air fryer allows reduce added saturated fat and calories, being a healthier way of cooking. However, this does not imply that foods such as nuggets or French fries should be equally avoided. You can replace them with chicken breast, homemade vegetarian nuggets with mushrooms or roasted sweet potato.
To end, Air frying is excellent for preserving food nutrients in a really more effective way than others. Depending on what you are preparing, you will do better in the oven or in the air fryer.
Beware of improperly cleaning the air fryer
What is really important is to clean this appliance regularly and in the correct way, unplugging it from the mains and using a soft sponge, warm or hot water and detergent or soap. For tougher stains, you can leave these items to soak.
There are several negative health consequences of using a dirty air fryer, including increased risk of food poisoning, cross-contamination where allergens are transferred, poor performance, and undercooking of food—dangerous for the transmission of bacteria such as Salmonella—or even the possibility of a fire.
Finally, the risks and disadvantages of air frying also depend on your diet: If you eat a lot of fried foods, the device can help you reduce your fat intake. If it does not include them, you do not need to use it several times a day.
Don’t forget others either. healthy techniques such as baking or steaming. Several foods are more nutrient dense if eaten raw. Choose well!
