Cooking with Air Fryers: Healthy or Unhealthy?

Creator: Soundharya M. G
Keywords: air fryer oven, air fryer recipes, air fryer cancer warning, chicken in air fryer, air fryer benefits, air fryer healthy choice, air fryer bad for health, healthy food in air fryer, air fryer weight loss

Author - Soundharya M. G, M. Sc Foods and Nutrition, Diabetes Educator

Article Reviewed by Dietitian Adeline Dorcas, M.Sc, M.Phil (Food Service Management & Dietetics) on Mar 11, 2023

Air Fryer: The Trending Kitchen Appliance

Air fryers are portrayed to be health-conscious and innovative equipment for frying foods. However, it is forgotten that they hold both upsides and downsides to health. The common reason cited for the usage of air fryers is being able to eat fried foods without worrying about calories and fat intake. This article will help you understand whether air fryers are safer and healthier alternative to satisfy your cravings for deep-fried foods(1^✔).

How do Air Fryers Work?

In air fryers, heat is transferred using hot air. The hot air keeps circulating inside the chamber removing moisture from food in order to improve the texture of food. Since air carries less heat the speed of the moving air is very high. The fan positioned above the food tray increases air circulation, escalates convection, and improves the transfer of heat into food(2^✔).

Are Air-fried Foods Healthy?

Fried foods are popular snacks across several cuisines and have been consumed for many years. The health impacts of fried foods have been researched by many. As fried foods are an important part of the menu, it is ideal to choose healthy ways of cooking them. Air-fried foods may tend to have a lower fat content and an appealing appearance and taste. In a study that examined the quality attributes of air-fried falafels. Air frying turned down about 45 percent of the fat content in falafel than deep-fried falafels. Appearance and hardness scores were higher for air-fried falafels. Calories also tend to be lesser in air-fried foods than in traditional deep-fried foods(3^✔).

Top 10 Things to Cook in an Air Fryer

Recipes commonly cooked using air fryers are -

French fries
Falafel
Chicken
Onion rings
Surimi
Doughnut
Fish skin
Nuggets
Vegetables
Potato chips(3^✔, 4^✔, 5^✔, 6^✔, 7^✔, 8^✔)

Traditional Deep Frying vs. Air Frying

In the traditional frying method or deep frying, oil is used to immerse the food. In deep frying, a combination of convection (from hot oil to food) and conduction (inside the food) happens. When oils are exposed to high temperatures toxic compounds may be produced. In deep frying, the Maillard reaction (between amino acids and sugars) results in the browning of the food and may also result in acrylamide production. Acrylamide is a compound found to be linked with the onset of cancers including esophageal, pancreatic, breast, endometrial, and ovarian.

Whereas, the air frying method turns away such bad impacts on health. There is minimal oil being used and heat is transferred at a high rate and is evenly distributed. The use of minimum oil and less energy consumption depicts it to be good for health. Studies have also shown better sensory attributes for air-fried foods than deep-fried foods(9^✔, 10^✔).

Air Fryers: Pros and Cons

Air fryers are marketed to be a healthy choice. However, they hold both pros and cons.

Air frying health benefits include the following:

Air fryers are time efficient. It reduces about 50 percent of the cooking time and 75 percent of the preheating time required(1^✔).
Air fryers use less oil than deep-fried foods. Almost 50 to 75 percent less fat is used in air frying, making it a healthy alternative(11^✔).
The cleaning process is easier when using an air fryer(11^✔).
Energy consumption is reduced with air fryers(5^✔).
A study found that air-fried sturgeon steak had a higher essential amino acid content and improved digestibility(5^✔).
Foods fried in oil may emit dangerous products like acrylamide. This is prevented with the usage of air fryers. A study found that air frying reduced the production of acrylamides and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural by 47 percent and 57 percent, respectively(4^✔). Another study examined deep-fried and air-fried chicken meat (breasts, thighs, and wings) and the formation of acrylamide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The results revealed that air frying reduced the production of these harmful compounds when compared with deep frying(6^✔).

The downsides of air fryers include -

Moisture removal is comparatively less in air-fried foods which may result in less crispy foods. Deep-fried foods have more moisture removed contributing to crispiness(4^✔).
A study evaluated the formation of cholesterol oxidation products(COPs) and degradation of polyunsaturated fatty acids in air-fried sardine fish. COPs may be interlinked with health problems like atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and chronic diseases. The results of the study revealed that air fryers tend to increase the formation of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs). Oxidation of lipids was found to be reduced with the use of fresh herbs such as parsley and chives(7^✔).
The capacity of air fryers is less and cannot cook large quantities of food(11^✔).
Wet foods or soggy foods that use batter or sauce cannot be air fried(8^✔).

Conclusion

Frying is a commonly used cooking method that is based on dehydrating food. Although air fryers have swept the cooking world off its feet, the health world is still skeptical about it. Studies on its effect on the nutritional and health aspects show both good and bad attributes. Air fryers aid in the easy cooking of different foods. However, some studies have shown a negative impact on health due to the production of toxic compounds like COPs. A healthy eating pattern not only includes less intake of calories and fat. Consuming balanced meals, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and avoiding social habits like smoking and alcohol consumption sculpts a healthy lifestyle.

References:

The Science Behind Air Fryers - (https://sciencemeetsfood.org/air-fryers/)
How air fryers work, scientifically speaking - (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/how-air-fryers-work-physics-convection/)
Optimization of the Frying Temperature and Time for Preparation of Healthy Falafel Using Air Frying Technology - (https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/11/2567)
Effects of Air Frying on French Fries: The Indication Role of Physicochemical Properties on the Formation of Maillard Hazards, and the Changes of Starch Digestibility - (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.889901/full)
Effect of air fryer frying temperature on the quality attributes of sturgeon steak and comparison of its performance with traditional deep fat frying - (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fsn3.2472)
Effects of Thawing and Frying Methods on the Formation of Acrylamide and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Chicken Meat - (https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/9/5/573)
Impact of Air Frying on Cholesterol and Fatty Acids Oxidation in Sardines: Protective Effects of Aromatic Herbs - (https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1750-3841.13967)
Are Air Fryers Healthy? - (https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-air-fryers-healthy/)
How Healthy is using an Air Fryer? - (https://www.nnc.gov.ph/regional-offices/mindanao/region-ix-zamboanga-peninsula/9686-how-healthy-is-using-an-air-fryer)
Frying Process: From Conventional to Air Frying Technology - (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/87559129.2019.1600541)
A Quick Look at Air Fryers: Agent Fact Sheet - (https://knox.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/202/2020/11/Air-Fryer-Agent-Fact-Sheet.pdf)

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