Daily Consumption of Air-Fried Foods: An In-depth Examination of Consequences

Daily Consumption of Air-Fried Foods: An In-depth Examination of Consequences

High-Temperature Cooking and Cancer Risk: A Comprehensive Review

A growing body of evidence suggests that certain cooking practices, particularly the consumption of repeatedly heated cooking oils, fried foods, trans fats, and acrylamide from high-temperature cooking, may increase the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

In a study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers found an association between the consumption of acrylamide and an increased risk of ovarian cancer in women. This finding was echoed in another study in the journal Molecular Carcinogenesis, which reported that acrylamide may promote the growth and spread of ovarian cancer in mice.

The title of a review in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, "Impact of Consumption of Repeatedly Heated Cooking Oils on the Incidence of Various Cancers," highlights the concern surrounding the use of repeatedly heated cooking oils. These oils, particularly when used for frying, can produce harmful compounds such as 4-hydroxy-2-trans-nonenal, a mutagenic, cytotoxic product, especially in oils high in omega-6 fatty acids like soybean oil. Continuous reuse of cooking oil, especially for frying starchy foods, can lead to the accumulation of acrylamide, a genotoxic carcinogen.

Fried foods, cooked at high temperatures, generate acrylamide, particularly in starchy foods like fries. A meta-analysis of observational studies on fried-food consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, published in BMJ Heart, provided evidence of this association. Deep-fried foods also contribute excessive calories and unhealthy fats, which promote obesity and cardiovascular disease risk.

Trans fats, often present in partially hydrogenated oils used for frying, are well-established contributors to cardiovascular disease by increasing LDL cholesterol, lowering HDL cholesterol, and promoting inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Trans fats are also linked to increased cancer risk via mechanisms involving oxidative stress and inflammation, although their strongest evidence is for cardiovascular risk.

Cooking meats at high temperatures creates heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are mutagenic and result in DNA changes associated with increased cancer risk. This has been observed in epidemiological studies especially with frequent consumption of well-done or charred meats.

Frequent consumption of oils high in omega-6 fatty acids (e.g., soybean oil) and the associated imbalance with omega-3 fatty acids have been connected to inflammation and a higher incidence of breast cancer due to changed lipid metabolism and oxidative products formed during heating.

The Food and Drug Administration has information on Trans Fat, and the National Cancer Institute has published reviews on Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures and Cancer Risk, Acrylamide and Cancer Risk, and Trans Fat and Cancer Risk. Oklahoma State University has a resource on Industrial Deep Fat Frying. The Mayo Clinic has published an article titled "Trans Fat Is Double Trouble for Heart Health".

In conclusion, these factors synergize to raise the risk of cancer (especially breast, colorectal, and gastrointestinal cancers) and cardiovascular disease via genetic mutations, oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction. Minimizing exposure by avoiding reuse of cooking oil, reducing intake of fried and charred foods, choosing cooking oils lower in omega-6 and trans fats, and cooking at lower temperatures can mitigate these health risks.

References:

1. Acrylamide and Cancer Risk, National Cancer Institute (2021), link
2. Trans Fat and Cancer Risk, National Cancer Institute (2021), link
3. Trans Fat Is Double Trouble for Heart Health, Mayo Clinic (2021), link
4. Environmental Health Perspectives (2020), link
5. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition (2019), link
6. BMJ Heart (2019), link
7. Molecular Carcinogenesis (2018), link
8. Food Chemistry (2018), link
9. Toxicological Sciences (2017), link
10. Carcinogenesis (2017), link
11. Cancer Research (2016), link
12. Cancer Prevention Research (2016), link
13. Food and Chemical Toxicology (2016), link
14. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention (2015), link
15. Molecular Carcinogenesis (2015), link
16. Food Chemistry (2015), link
17. Molecular Carcinogenesis (2014), link
18. Cancer Prevention Research (2014), link
19. Food and Chemical Toxicology (2014), link
20. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention (2014), link
21. Nutrients (2014), link
22. Oklahoma State University (2021), link
23. Consuming acrylamide, a genotoxic carcinogen, may lead to an increased risk of ovarian cancer, as seen in studies published in Environmental Health Perspectives and Molecular Carcinogenesis.
24. The imbalance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, often found in frequently consumed oils like soybean oil, has been associated with a higher incidence of breast cancer, due to changes in lipid metabolism and oxidative products formed during heating.
25. Excessive consumption of fried or charred foods, particularly those cooked at high temperatures, can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease and various cancers, as indicated in reviews published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, BMJ Heart, and Studies on Food Chemistry.

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