Everyone around the world enjoys fried food, frying can make even a boring vegetable tastier. But, what happens to the oil that is used for deep frying? It’s not like we use every pin drop of it, nor does one enjoy wasting the remaining oil.
However, little do we know that reusing the same oil over and over again can cause various health issues.
Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar recommends that portion control can help us enjoy fried refreshments without harming our body.
When oil starts releasing smoke, it gets oxidized to Trans fats and total polar compounds, para aromatic hydrocarbon. All of these are molecules that are toxic to human life. Therefore, re-heating and reuse of oil should be avoided as far as possible.
People those consume the most amount of fried foods sold in road side eateries or different food outlets in the markets are mostly youngsters aged between 20-30. While these outlets often cook in re-used oils, eating food from here can become the extreme cause for elevated cholesterol levels at a young age owing to one’s dietary choices.
To conclude, reusing oil for cooking has negative impacts on health and cause problems like increased cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and high risk of heart diseases in the long run.
Moreover, the number of times that one can safely reuse the oil depends on what kind of food is being fried in it, the kind of oil it is, what temperature was it heated to, and for how long. Normally, a maximum of three times is permitted to avoid formation of trans-fat.
Therefore, using a limited quantity of oil for cooking and frying to prevent wastage and further risk of re-use that comes with its set of side-effects is highly advisable.
Ms Kalinga