Along with technological advances, many electronic products have been created to facilitate human activities, including healthier cooking tools such as air fryers. Air fryers are modern devices that allow frying food with little oil, making them considered healthier than traditional frying methods.
Benefits of Air Fryer
Using an air fryer has various benefits, including:
1. Reducing the fat content of food
Food fried in an air fryer contains less saturated fat. The use of cooking oil is only about 15 ml, while regular frying requires 500-750 ml of cooking oil.
2. Helps lose weight
By reducing saturated fat and calories in food, air fryers can aid in weight loss, especially for those on a healthy diet.
3. Reduces the formation of harmful substances
When frying potatoes or high-carbohydrate foods, carcinogenic compounds such as acrylamide can form. Using an air fryer has been shown to reduce acrylamide levels by up to 90%.
4. Produces less waste oil
Due to minimal oil usage, air fryers produce very little or no oil waste.
5. Make vegetables crispier and tastier
Air fryer can be used to cook various vegetables such as long beans, broccoli, and carrots so that they become crispier and tastier.
Is it true that air fryers can produce carcinogenic results?
Air fryer works by relying on air circulation in the device where the temperature can reach 200 degrees Celsius. In addition, cooking using an air fryer takes a long time. This is what causes researchers to worry about air fryers being able to produce carcinogenic compounds where longer cooking times can basically cause the formation of carcinogenic compounds.3
A study suggests that cooking fish in an air fryer can increase levels of cholesterol oxidation products (COCs), which are linked to the risk of cancer and heart disease. In addition, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons can also be formed, albeit in small amounts, when food is cooked at high temperatures. However, the notion that air fryers directly cause cancer has not been fully proven..4 Caution is still needed, especially regarding the materials and quality of the air fryer.
How to Choose and Use an Air Fryer Correctly
Some tips for choosing and using the correct air fryer are as follows:2
- Choose quality plastic material for air fryers that is free from BPA (Bisphenol A).
- Adjust the air fryer capacity to your daily needs.
- Preheat the air fryer before using it so that the food doesn't stay in it for too long.
- Use cooking oil that can withstand high temperatures, such as olive oil or vegetable oil.
- Avoid cooking beyond the capacity of the air fryer so that the food cooks evenly.
- Clean the air fryer after use, especially the filter and base of the container from food residue.
Air fryer has various benefits that can help and make the body healthy. Therefore, use the air fryer according to the instructions for use to avoid unwanted things.
References:
- Christovel Ramot. Mengenal Istilah Karsinogenik, Sang Potensi Penyebab Kanker. Klik Dokter. Last reviewed on September 26, 2024. Available at: https://www.klikdokter.com/info-sehat/kanker/mengenal-istilah-karsinogenik
- Andi Marsa Nadhira. Sehatkah Menggoreng dengan Air Fryer?. Alodokter. Last reviewed on January 29, 2023. Available at: https://www.alodokter.com/sehatkah-menggoreng-dengan-air-fryer
- Tamara Anastasia. Air Fryer Bisa Menyebabkan Kanker, Mitos atau Fakta?. Klik Dokter. Last reviewed on March 4, 2021. Available at: https://www.klikdokter.com/info-sehat/kanker/air-fryer-bisa-menyebabkan-kanker-mitos-atau-fakta
- Cleveland Clinic Staf. Are Air Fryers Healthy?. Cleveland Clinic. Last reviewed on January 22, 2024. Available at: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-air-fryers-healthy