Everyone these days is becoming more and more concerned with the things we eat and what it might be doing to us. With Cancer being one of the most feared words, it doesn’t hurt to try to figure out ways to make our life that little bit healthier and possibly live longer.
Why are people asking: do air fryers cause cancer?
Well, it’s a common matter of confusion.
You may refer to this article on the government website that explains more in detail about a chemical substance called Acrylamide.
Acrylamide is a “naturally occurring substance” formed when starchy vegetables are cooked at a high temperature for a longer period of time that needs to be.
This refers to potatoes, bread and root vegetables cooked at 120 C to 150 C.
This is fact.
It was discovered in a series of tests when Acrylamide was injected into laboratory rats, and caused cancerous growths.
So basically people started to believe that Bread and potatoes caused cancer.
So, when using a traditional “deep fat fryer”, and cooking at high temperatures you may well be causing additional amounts of Acrylamide to be formed and increasing the risk of Cancer.
With an air fryer you are cooking for less time at a lower temperature.
With an air fryer you can pre-set the cooking time so the food is not cooked for any longer than it needs to be.
Thus, cooking with an air fryer is substantially healthier than cooking by other methods.
- You are using 80%+ less fat.
- Food is cooked quicker and more evenly
- You can ensure the food does not over-cook or burn
Click here to see our top 10 best Air Fryers currently available for the Uk market
How can you reduce the amount of Acrylamide you are exposed to?
Well Acrylamide is found in a wide range of food and drinks.
With your food, the main tip is to NOT over cook it.
In other words aim for “Golden Brown”, not dark Brown.
- So no more burnt toast.
- No more jacket potatoes that have been over cooked in the oven.
- No more deep fried chips that are “well done“.
- Do not store potatoes in the fridge as this increases sugars and can lead to higher cooking temperatures to cook it, leading to a larger production of Acrylamide.
- Acrylamide is also found in Coffee, cereals, crisps, cakes and biscuits!
So in summary, Air fryers are much healthier and help to reduce the amount of Acrylamide you are exposed to.
Naturally if you over cook your food longer than recommended, and you go on very hot settings every time above what is recommended then you are increasing the risks of exposure.
If you’re already convinced about the safety of air fryers, you might be interested to hear about our air fried Orange Oreo cookie recipe.
Summary and our thoughts about Cancer risks of using an Air Fryer:
Cooking your food at high temperatures for longer time periods (aiming for very well done or burnt) is not wise.
Stick to manufacturers recommended cooking times.
Aim for Golden brown or “lightly done” when cooking.
Enjoy a varied healthy diet and try to reduce consumption of Breads, potatoes, biscuits, baked goods, coffee and cereals.
Using an Air fryer is certainly far healthier than deep fryers. With the ability to not “over cook” food if you forget about it, you can ensure that production of Acrylamide is kept to a minimum.
There is a small section on the NHS website about Acrylamide and how it links to Cancer, so cooking food right is important.
Any questions or comments? Please let us know below.