Are potatoes and food cooked in an air fryer really healthier?

Is air frying really healthy? Let's find out all the benefits and negative health effects of this new cooking method.

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Is cooking food with an air fryer really healthier? Let's discover all the benefits and negative health effects of this increasingly used cooking method

Frying is one of the most popular cooking methods, because it makes food crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The captivating taste of fried foodsHowever, it comes at a health cost as waste oils cause heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

The air fryers: appliances that promise the taste, texture and golden color of oil-fried foods, but without all the fats and calories. But do these deep fryers keep their promise?

Index

Air fryer: how it works

Air fryers are square or egg-shaped devices, with which you can fry different types of food, from potatoes to chicken nuggets, vegetables and many more. The classic models are equipped with a removable basket where you can put food and, if desired, also condiments; while, there are also other types very similar to the classic oven.

Le air fryers they have an internal fan that pushes hot air around the food, a bit like a concentrated fan oven.

The circulating air cooks the outside of the food first, creating a crunchy coating and leaving the inside soft, just like fried foods. While the food is cooking, a container under the basket collects fat or liquids released from food.

(Read also: 5 alternatives to frying to make food tasty and tasty)

Are potatoes and food cooked in an air fryer really healthier?

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What can be cooked in an air fryer?

An air fryer can cook just about anything you would normally fry in oil, except fresh battered foods, specifically:

French fries
chicken
Meatballs
omelettes and farifrittata
croquettes
vegetables
onion rings
cheese sticks
fish
pizza

Some models also have settings for toasting and cook like conventional ovens. You can also use the air fryer for other recipes, such as quiches and desserts.

(Read also: Beware of packaged kefir: fewer enzymes and health benefits than stated on the label)

Advantages of air fryers

Air fryers have had a recent surge in popularity due to a growing awareness of the healthiness of this cooking method, and the continuing demand for fried foods. People in America, for example, eat more potatoes than any other vegetable, with 40% of this total coming from frozen products, such as French fries.

Air fryer manufacturers advertise this appliance as effective for preparing and enjoying fried foods, without the negative health effects. Air fried foods have a content of lower fat compared to fried foods, which means they are healthier.

However, some people are concerned about the possible health risks of using this new cooking method, mainly due to concerns about the toxicity and on cancer; others are skeptical of the alleged benefits of air-fried foods.

Here are some of the main benefits of air cooking.

Weight loss

The use of air fryers can promote weight loss, since an increased intake of fried foods has direct links to a greater risk of obesity. The reason? Fried foods tend to be high in fat and calories, so switching from deep-fried foods to air-fried foods and reducing your regular intake of unhealthy oils can promote weight loss.

Air fryers can be safer than classic deep fryers

To fry food, you need to heat a large container filled with hot oil, which can pose a safety risk. Although air fryers overheat, there is no risk of hot oil spilling and splashing. Obviously, these appliances must be used with care, and the instructions must be followed to ensure maximum safety.

Air fryers reduce the risk of toxic acrylamide formation

Frying food in oil can cause the development of dangerous compounds, such asacrylamide. This compound forms in some foods during high-temperature cooking methods, such as frying.

According l 'International Agency for Cancer Research, acrylamide may have links with the development of certain cancers, including cancer of the endometrium, ovary, pancreas, breast and esophagus. Further studies have also suggested a link between dietary acrylamide and kidney, endometrial or ovarian cancers, although the results are uncertain. By switching to air frying, you can reduce the risk of acrylamide in food.

Cutting down on fried foods reduces the risk of disease

Cooking with oil and regularly consuming fried foods in the traditional way has links to many diseases; consequently, replacing frying with other cooking methods can reduce the risk of complications on your health.

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Are air fried foods really healthier?

Air frying is healthier than frying in oil, because reduces calories by 70% to 80% and it contains much less fat. This cooking method may also reduce some of the other harmful effects of frying with oil.

In fact, the reaction that occurs when frying potatoes or other starchy foods produces the chemical acrylamide, which is linked to greater chances of contracting cancer, while the air frying reduces the amount of acrylamide by 90% in fried potatoes.

However, some things about air frying may not be beneficial; for example, air frying fish increases the amount of a substance called "oxidation of cholesterol"(COP). COPs are formed when cholesterol in meat or fish breaks down during cooking, and these substances are linked to cardio-vascular problems, hardening of the arteries, cancer and other diseases.

One way to reduce the amount of COP when frying fish is to add fresh parsley, chives, or a mixture of the two, as these herbs act as antioxidants. Air frying also appears to curb the omega-3 fatty acids in fish. These "good fats" help lower blood pressure and raise "good" cholesterol levels and can help protect the heart.

(Read also: These 10 foods are best never freeze (especially potatoes and rice)

Negative effects of air fryers

While air fryers have their advantages, they also have negative effects, such as:

Air frying does not guarantee a healthy diet

While air fryers can provide healthier options than classic deep fryers, limiting your fried food intake altogether can significantly benefit your health.

Simply replacing all deep-fried foods with air-fried foods, therefore, in no way guarantees one healthy diet; in fact, for optimal health people should focus on a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins.

Air frying can create other harmful compounds

While air fryers reduce the likelihood of acrylamide formation, other potentially harmful compounds may still form. The reason? All high-temperature cooking with meat, for example, can cause polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons e heterocyclic amines.

These compounds have associations with cancer risk, according to the National Cancer Institute, although scientists need to do more research to clarify exactly how air frying and these compounds relate.

Hence, air-fried food is not 100% healthy; air fryers are able to produce healthier foods than traditional frying, but it must be borne in mind that it is always fried food, despite having much less calories and fat.

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