Share
Air fryers have gained popularity as a kitchen equipment since they are promoted as a guilt-free, healthy way to enjoy your favourite fried dishes. Many people assert that they assist in reducing the fat content of common dishes like fish sticks, chicken wings, french fries, and empanadas. However, how healthy is air fryer cooking?
To prepare fried meals including meat, pastries, and potato chips, many households have air fryers. To create a crunchy, crispy surface on the meal, hot air is circulated around it. This causes the Maillard process, a chemical reaction, as well. It takes place when an amino acid and a reducing sugar combine in the presence of heat, changing the flavour and colour of food. Due to their reduced fat and calorie content than deep-fried dishes, air-fried foods are promoted as a healthier alternative. To get a similar taste and texture to deep-fried items, air-frying just needs a tablespoon (15 mL) of oil, as opposed to entirely drowning the food in it.
Author and nutritionist Dr. Nandita Iyer recently posted on Instagram about whether air fryers are safe or not. “Airfryer is like an oven on steroids - fast baking the food using hot air that is circulated with a fan in a small area. I have been using one since 8 year, she writes. ”
ASIN ID - B0B8XNPQPN ASIN ID - B0B8XNPQPN
“Food cooked in air fryer use much less oil as compared to conventional cooking or deep frying. There is no need to reuse the oil used for frying previously. There is 90% less generation of acrylamide, a potentially harmful chemical that is formed when food is deep fried. Inhalation and ingestion of reused oils have been found to result in a number of changes in cells (such as chromosomal damage) that are linked to cancer. Consuming foods cooking in these reused oils causes oxidative stress. Oxidative stress, in turn, may lead to DNA damage and cancer, she further explains”.
Her posts also mention Acrylamide that is also produced if food is cooked for an extended period of time at a very high temperature, especially when starchy foods are darkened in ed in colour. The WHO claims that there is insufficient evidence relating acrylamide and human studies.
Does The Air Fryer Cause Loss Of Nutrients?
Vitamins that are heat labile are lost when vegetables are cooked at high temperatures. The same vitamins and nutrients will be lost when the same veggies are fried in oil at temperatures between 175 and 190°C, not to mention that the oil itself will add hundreds of calories to the dish. In addition, heating oil to the smoking point while preparing deep-fried food emits chemicals that are long-term health risks, not to mention the risks associated with reheating the same oil to fry. It is a safer choice than prolonged cooking on high heat on a stovetop since the cooking time is so brief—rarely more than 10 to 15 minutes, she adds. She closes by urging consumers to purchase air fryers from well-known companies that guarantee quality.
