One of the most practical kitchen tools available today is the air fryer, which allows you to prepare nutritious meals with minimal amounts of fat, oil, and calories. However, according to specialists, using air fryers at high temperatures can be quite harmful and increase the chance of developing cancer. air fryers don't cause cancer in and of themselves, but they do create "probable" carcinogens called acrylamides.
Dr. Dimple Jangda, a specialist in gut health, claims that the non-stick coating is poisonous and causes heavy metals to leak into your meals. The majority of air fryers have a non-stick coating that, when heated, emits harmful pollutants. Additionally, it has wire coatings that leach heavy metals into your meals, causing heavy metal poisoning that can eventually affect your kidneys and liver," Dr. Jangda informed her instagram followers. Teflon flu is a frequent flu-like illness that can result from it. Due to the discharge of harmful fumes, it also results in bronchial health problems," she continued.
How do air fryers release toxic fumes?
Experts claim that because air fryers cook food at extremely high temperatures, they emit polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and acrylamides, which are known to be carcinogenic. The frying oil itself does not produce acrylamides when sugar and the amino acid asparagine are heated to extremely high temperatures. The primary plant sources of asparagine include potatoes, asparagus, whole grains, soy, almonds, and legumes. Poultry, meat, eggs, certain fish and seafood, and dairy products are examples of animal sources.
How do you reduce the risk of cancer using air fryers?
Dr. Jangda claims that utilizing air fryers coated in steel or ceramic might lessen the generation of pollutants that can harm your dna and RNA. "If you want to use an air fryer, be sure it is constructed of ceramic or stainless steel and does not have any form of non-stick coating. Use it on a lower heat and, to be honest, it's preferable to just cook your meal in a skillet with a half-teaspoon of oil," she advised. Another strategy to ensure the safety of your air-fried food is to avoid keeping it in the air fryer for an extended period, especially overnight. Another step is to make sure that the coating is not broken, as it can also release toxins and carcinogens in your food.
Air frying vs. deep frying
In essence, air fryers function as a countertop convection oven, which sets them apart from deep fryers. A heating element located close to the fryer's top transfers heat into the frying chamber to air fry food. Hot air and small oil droplets are circulated the meal at the same time by a high-speed fan. As a result, the cooking process becomes more analogous to frying than baking. Compared to deep fryers, air fryers use very little or no oil. However, because the oil used in deep fryers has a higher specific heat than the heated air used in air fryers, they often take longer to fry food.