Can Air Fryer Cause Cancer?

Air fryer was introduced during 2011 as an alternative of the deep fryers. One of the main selling points of the air fryer is it helps to keep the food healthier compared to the other ways of cooking. But there has been some discussion about the risk of cancer and diseases by using this modern cooking appliance. So, can the air fryer cause cancer? Let’s find out the answer.

Most of the time, an air fryer is safe and there is very little chance of leading you to health issues. Especially, compared to the other cooking appliances, they are safer because of the unique cooking mechanism. We will discuss a bit more about the air fryer’s mechanism and the safety of the device.

How does an Air Fryer Works?

As the name recommends, an air fryer allows you to cook things in the hot air. It allows you to enjoy the fried foods or let you make the food crunchy with little or no oil. Such a capability of the air fryer makes it an instant and hit and it is becoming more popular gradually. People are taking the air fryer as a healthy alternative to the other cooking appliance.

Behind the mechanism of the air fryer, there is a technology known as rapid air technology. The device consists of heating elements along with fans that produce the heat and circulate it throughout the machine. As the hot air is circulated through your food, it gets perfectly cooked without requiring any oil.

Can Air Fryer Cause Cancer?

The answer to the questions depends on several factors. But we can assure you that there are very low chances of this. Especially, when you compare this air fryer with the other cooking appliances, the device is safer and has fewer adverse effects on your health. What really contributes to cancer is the oil you use in the food. While cooking in the stovetop or the deep fryer, you require using a lot of oil.

More oils mean more calories and fat which makes you obese. Due to the higher intake of the fried foods, the rate of overweighed individuals is increasing significantly in the air fryer. And, obesity has a link with cancer. Being overweight can lead you to 13 different types of cancer. Compared to the stovetop and deep frier, the air fryer uses less oil. As per a study, air-fried French fries have 75% less fat compared to the deep frier.

When you put aside the uses of oil, cancer can be still caused by any of the cooking appliances with the formation of Carcinogens. In case you don’t know, carcinogens are cancer-causing substances that got produced while cooking.

How Can Air Fryer Cause Cancer

One of the main reasons behind the occurrence of carcinogens is using reheated oil. When you cook in the preheated oil, it produces some byproducts and hydrocarbons. As per some studies, using reheated oil repeatedly bring chances in your cells which is linked to cancer. And, using thermally abused oil can lead to lung, colon, prostate, and breast cancer.

Apart from causing cancer, the reheated oil can even make the condition harsh for people who already have cancers. Researchers have found that repeated use of the reheated oil endorses the growth of breast cancer in the mice. They also found the oil also promotes the spreading of cancer. However, there is no study till now to prove the same effect in the human.

Another issue you need to be concerned about is the Acrylamides that produce while cooking. In case you don’t know, Acrylamides is a chemical that is formed by the reaction of amino acid asparagine and sugar. Typically, this reaction occurs when you cook food that contains starch at a high temperature. Acrylamide is a 2A carcinogen and it is believed that it can cause cancer.

You can easily reduce the chances of Acrylamide production simply by cooking foods that contain starch at a low temperature. And, as per some studies, there is less chance of Acrylamide production in the air fryer compared to the other traditional cooking appliances. Overall, the air fryer has a very low chance of causing cancer. Especially, when you use the device properly to cook foods, there are very low chances of any health issues.

So, Are Air Fryers Healthy?

When used in a righteous way, an air fryer can be very beneficial. Such as you can utilize an air fryer instead of a deep fryer to enjoy fried foods that don’t contain a lot of oil. This helps you in your weight loss journey and enjoy overall healthy meals. Moreover, when you use an air fryer, there are very low chances of Acrylamide production. Apart from cancer, Acrylamide can cause several other diseases related to kidney, endometrial, and others.

You can cook the food at an exact controlled temperature, keeping the food perfectly healthy. This way you can prevent the chances of issues and byproduct production while cooking in the high heat. The air fryer also reduces the other risk of diseases that are typically linked with deep-fried foods. The device can be a great way to make your food healthy.

How to Minimize the Health Risk in the Air Fryer

Make sure that you are never doing these things while cooking in the air fryer:

• Never cook the vegetables in the air fryer. It destroys the folic acid and vitamins available in veggies.
• Try to limit the intake of the processed foods. They are already cooked in oil and also include some oils which might be bad for your health.
• Try to cook food at 180 C or less temperature. This prevents the food from burning and also reduce the chances of the production of toxic and harmful byproduct.

Conclusion

Air fryers can be a great way to prepare healthy meals. As we said earlier, this device is healthier than your regular stovetop and deep fryer. So, you can use an air fryer without any further thoughts about cancer or any other health issues.