Are Air Fryers Really Healthy? Oil-free Or Carcinogenic, Which One Is The Truth?

Recently, another topic about health has become a hot topic, and that is whether the air fryer is healthy. Some people think that it does not require additional oil. It can use the fat of the meat itself to make the same taste as deep-fried food, which is less disguised. Eating oil makes you healthier.

Some people think that even if you use an air fryer, it will produce carcinogens. If you eat too much, you will still be at risk of cancer, so it is still unhealthy. So, is using an air fryer healthy or not? What exactly are the so-called carcinogens?

How does an air fryer work?

‘Foshshan Original’ thinks, although it is called an air fryer, it does not fry food. Instead, it heats food through a heating element and circulates air driven by a built-in fan.

In a fryer environment, high-speed hot air of about 200 degrees is blown over the food. The circulating air flow can make the surface of the food crispy but the center will not dry out.

Do air fryers really produce carcinogens?

This rumor first originated from the news that "carcinogens were detected in Korean air fryers after heating." The carcinogen mentioned in the news was acrylamide.

Food processed in air fryers can indeed produce acrylamide, but this does not mean that food fried in air fryers can cause cancer.

But you should know that acrylamide is not a unique product of air fryers, but the result of the "Maillard reaction".

What is the Maillard reaction?

First of all, let’s be clear: it’s not just the air fryer that produces acrylamide. No matter what method is used (frying, stir-frying, deep-frying), no matter what pot is used, as long as the temperature exceeds 120 degrees, acrylamide will be produced.

The complex non-enzymatic browning reaction of carbohydrates and proteins in food at 140°C to 170°C gives the food a "slightly burnt" effect and brings attractive color and taste. This is the so-called Maillard reaction. .

Controversy remains over whether acrylamide causes cancer

Animal experiments have found that acrylamide has carcinogenic effects when ingested at ultra-high doses, but human studies have not yet reached a unified conclusion.

The World Health Organization's view is that "it is difficult to set safety standards because we don't know whether it can cause cancer and at what concentration level it can cause cancer."

So, can the air fryer still be used?

A study published in "Food Science" also pointed out that compared to traditional frying, the acrylamide content of food fried in air fryers was reduced by 90%.

Because the temperature control is more accurate, cooking is heated evenly and the heating time is reduced, so even if it has an impact, it is still much better than frying.

Taking French fries as an example, the oil absorption of fried French fries may reach 14.81%, and if an air fryer is used, the fat content of French fries can be reduced by an average of 70%, which is equivalent to a reduction of 45 kcal per 100 grams.

So compared to frying, air frying is much healthier ~

Air fryer replaces deep frying, a convenient new choice

In fact, using an air fryer to make fried food is a more convenient and healthier choice.

Although traditional deep-frying can quickly fry a golden hard skin, hot oil will also spray oil stains everywhere in the kitchen, which is very difficult to clean up.

And what to do with the remaining oil after frying is also a problem that many families worry about. Throwing it away is too wasteful, and reusing it always feels unhealthy.

Using an air fryer can solve this problem very well. Not only does it not require the use of oil, it is also more convenient and faster~

How to use an air fryer to be healthier?

Finally, I would like to recommend some key points when using the air fryer. You can pay attention to it when using it~ This will make the food cooked in the air fryer healthier~

1. If you choose a big brand of air fryer, the temperature control effect will be better and it will be relatively healthier.

2. When using, cook more meat and less food with high starch content.

3. If the pieces are larger, you can cook them in batches to avoid overloading the air fryer.

4.Turn the food occasionally to allow the food to be heated evenly and ensure the food is mature, but not overcooked.

In fact, whether a kind of food or a cooking method causes cancer is not a problem of tools, but a problem of operation method. If the operation method is improper, even healthy vegetables will have the risk of causing cancer, so we still need to be rational and dialectical. way to look at the problem~

Although the air fryer is relatively healthy, it is still recommended to eat less. Cooking ingredients by steaming, boiling, etc. can not only preserve the taste and nutrition of the food itself, but also make the body healthier~