Cooking oil: Avoid reusing cooking oil for cooking; Cook food in fresh oil for each meal
Highlights
- Cook food in small quantities to avoid reusing oil
- Cook a fresh meal for every meal to avoid reusing cooking oil
- Avoid eating junk, deep-fried food from roadside food joints
Have you paid attention to cooking oil, and how many times you reheat the oil that used for deep frying or pan frying? Raising awareness about this dangerous but highly ignored kitchen practice is lifestyle coach Luke Coutinho in one of his live sessions on Facebook. Reusing cooking oil is usually done because of excess food or meal prepping. This common kitchen practice might help you save up on time and even money, but it may be the reason for high levels of inflammation in your body. Read below to know more about the dangers of reheating cooking oil.
Reheating cooking oil: top health risks you must be aware of
1. It makes oil more carcinogenic
Anything that is carcinogenic has the possibility of causing cancer. More and more research is showing how aldehydes - toxic elements - that are produced when you reheat oil. Cooking food by reusing cooking oil can also increase free radicals in the body, which can cause inflammation - the root cause of most diseases including obesity, heart disease and diabetes. High inflammation in the body can also reduce immunity and make you prone to infections.
Reusing cooking oil can make food carcinogenic
Photo Credit: iStock
Also read: Mustard Oil: The One Cooking Oil Which Is Good For Your Heart, Skin And Much More
2. It increases LDL cholesterol
Food cooked in black, smoked oil which is being used and reheated throughout the day can increase level of LDL or bad cholesterol in the body. High levels of LDL cholesterol can increase risks of heart disease, stroke and chest pain. Avoid reusing cooking oil to avoid cholesterol-related problems.
3. More acidity
If that burning sensation in your stomach and throat has become more frequent than ever, then reheated cooking oil may be the culprit behind it. Avoid eating roadside junk and deep-fried food if you experience more acidity than usual. If it helps reducing acidity, then you have your answer about its causative factor - reusing cooking oil!
Also read: This Is Undoubtedly The Best And Worst Cooking Oil For Your Health: Tells Our Expert Nutritionist
Other health risks involved with eating food in reheated cooking oil are:
- Obesity
- Weight gain
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
How to reduce usage of reheated cooking oil?
1. Switch to home-cooked food
Home-cooked food is the most fresh and healthiest variety of food you can eat. Cooking food at home empowers you to decide what ingredients go in your food. From cooking oil to carbs, protein, fats and fibre, home-cooked food can provide you the perfect balanced diet you need for good health and weight loss. Make sure that you don't use already used cooking oil.
Eat home-cooked food most of the times to avoid eating food in reheated cooking oil
Photo Credit: iStock
2. Cook food in small quantities
This is an effective way to reduce excess cooking oil. Calculate the amount of food you need for a particular meal to avoid food wastage. Cook fresh food as frequently as possible. Cooking food in small quantities can also help you practice portion control - which is a key practice if you want to lose weight.
Also read: Cooking Oil: Know Which One Is The Best For You
3. Carry home-cooked food when travelling or going out
There are times when you simply cannot avoid eating out. But, you can definitely work on reducing the number of times you have to eat out. Meal prepping can help you in this case. On a day when you know you have to travel or not be at home or your workplace, carry your food with you. This will help you keep up with your weight loss diet and also avoid eating food which is most likely to be cooked in reheated oil. You can also opt for fast food that involves less use of oil like salads, dosa and idli.
4. If you have Alzheimer's, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or any other disease running in the family, it gives you all the more reason to avoid reheating cooking oil. It is going to contribute to more inflammation in conditions that are already inflammatory in nature.
(Luke Coutinho, Holistic Lifestyle Coach - Integrative Medicine)
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.