Fries and crunchy foods are the love of millions around the world, and the idea of ​​getting those meals without the exorbitant health tax involved in eating them may actually be worth a lot, as air fryers distribute heat in an airtight container at high temperatures fast enough to be fried, grilled, or grilled. Baking without using oil.

Moreover, it creates a crunchy outer layer that does not affect the freshness of the food from the inside when careful not to exceed the necessary cooking time.

But is an air fryer perfectly healthy?

How does an air fryer work?

An air fryer is a kitchen appliance that prepares food by circulating hot air around the contents of the machine's plate for preparing food.

In it, food is heated by convection, resulting in a crispy exterior that requires the least amount of fat possible, making it suitable as a healthier way to cook foods such as potato chips, fried chicken, etc.

Air fryers actually reduce most people's calorie intake by 70-80% (Pixabe)

  • Health benefits of air frying

The main reason people love an air fryer is that, compared to deep frying, it significantly reduces the total calories of the food.

  • Fewer calories

In fact, the Cleveland Clinic health and medical information website reports that an air fryer actually reduces most people's calorie intake by an average of 70 to 80 percent when cooking with it.

  • Delicious vegetables without additives

In addition to the above, air frying is a great option for eating vegetables easily instead of preparing them in different forms so that you can add them to a more balanced diet.

They are ideal for preparing vegetables and making them tastier.

  • Prevention of toxic compounds

Frying food in oil can lead to the appearance of dangerous compounds, such as acrylamide.

This compound is formed in some foods during high-heat cooking methods, such as deep frying.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, acrylamide is linked to some types of cancer, including endometrial, ovarian, pancreatic, breast and esophageal cancers.

So by switching to air frying, people can reduce the risk of acrylamide in their food.

Air fryer disadvantages

One of the drawbacks of air frying is that it leads some people to believe that fried food is healthy and therefore fit to eat it on a daily basis without thinking twice.

One of the disadvantages of air frying is that it leads some people to think that fried food is healthy (Pixabe)

  • Frying is not an ideal option every day

The Cookful website points out that although a low-fat, air-fried diet may seem tempting, you will eventually miss out on the many health benefits of vegetable fats like avocado and olive oil that you can cook healthy meals with. Its essential for a healthy brain and hormones in the body.

  • Burnt food and its side effects

Air frying also produces high temperatures at a very fast rate, which makes it very easy to burn food or get darker crusts.

But charred foods may be carcinogenic and a major health hazard.

  • Reduce fiber and nutritional value

Burning is not the only danger to your food when operating the air fryer.

Without careful and careful monitoring, your meal can dry out quickly, losing a lot of fiber and nutrients, and this is due to the lack of fat percentage in which the food is cooked and preserves its liquids without drying out completely.

  • Air frying produces other harmful compounds

While air frying reduces the potential for acrylamide to form than deep frying, other potentially harmful compounds can still form when air frying.

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines that result from the air-frying process can result from high-temperature cooking of meat.

These compounds have been linked to a higher risk of cancer, according to Medical News Today.

  • Frying without fat does not mean more benefit

None of this guarantees that chicken cooked in an air fryer will be any healthier than chicken grilled in the oven, grilled in a skillet with some vegetable oil, or slow cooked in a saucepan with some toppings.

There are many other cooking options that are able to make delicious and healthy foods all at once.

It just doesn't result in the fried crunchy texture that air fryers provide, and that may be the only guaranteed difference when used in food preparation.