Edible Oils and Your Health

Why Fried Cause Cancer?

In 2002, Eden Tareke colleagues from the University of Stockholm-Sweden, announced the results of research on acrylamide. Acrylamide is a carcinogen formed in heated foods.

According to the study, carbohydrate-rich foods such as potatoes, cassava, yams, bananas, rice, etc., when fried will decompose, and then reacts with amino acids to produce compounds carcinogenic (cancer-triggering) called acrylamide.

Likewise baked goods. Moderate food raw, boiled, or steamed not experience such a reaction, so it does not produce acrylamide. If anything, the levels are very small.

Research on rats showed that acrylamide cause tumors, DNA damage, nerve damage, interfere with fertility, and cause miscarriage. A plate of fried potatoes are cooked at a temperature of 220 oC containing acrylamide approximately 2500 micrograms.

In mice, the number is already causing gene mutations. What would happen if every day we eat french fries, crackers, fried banana, fried cassava, fried tempeh, fried-fried or others?

So, what we mean at all should not eat fried foods? It's okay, as long as not too much and know tips healthy. Because after oil is also needed in the metabolism of our body, in the amount of not more than 5-10 ml / day (1-2 tablespoons). So how healthy tips?

Fried Itself

One of the tips healthy eating fried foods is a way to fry their own food. With fry itself we can always use new oil. The oil used for frying never expected to still be free of acrylamide and other carcinogenic substances.

Also, we can set the temperature at the time of frying oil that is not too hot and fried lift the maturation time being, let alone burn before it gets too brown.

Temperature during frying oil over medium heat, averaging 180-220 oC. The lower the temperature, the less acrylamide is formed. Conversely, the more heat the more acrylamide it.

In addition, the heated cooking oil is too high will be oxidized and polymerized substances produce free radicals and trans oils (trans fatty acids) that are harmful to health and cause cancer.

Cooking oils turn into trans oil marked with the smoke from the pan, changing the color becomes darker, it smells rancid / stinging, more viscous fluid, as well as causing itching / irritation of the throat. But there is also a trans oil naturally without going through the frying process, ie the fat of ruminant animals.

Used cooking oil (cooking), when reused more easily damaged than new oil. It's easier and faster smoky blackened though the temperature is not too hot. The habit of cooking food vendors are using the oil very much, very hot (up to 300 0C), with a big fire (again and again to black), so we get the result fried crisp and dry.

Indeed, the renyak more enjoyable, but also more carcinogenic compounds the "bonus" of his. Fried foods will absorb the oil in the vicinity. Food becomes oily, and carcinogenic compounds in oil also helped get into our bodies.

With frying itself, we can set the temperature not too hot, which uses heat, and use less oil that is not too much of acrylamide and other carcinogenic compounds formed and joined absorbed into the food.

And do not forget before the meal, oil remains attached to the food we take in first to use paper or tissue. But tips fry itself and limit the amount of fried food that is eaten is not yet sufficient to prevent cancer. Especially if you already have cancer, should be more cautious in the future. Cooking oil used must be safe.

Safe Cooking Oil

There are many types of cooking oil which is often heralded safe for health, but it actually has the potential dangers. Which obviously is not safe cooking oil. The oil has been used so many times already contain acrylamide, free radicals, and trans fatty acids.

Moreover, if the color is brown, and the texture is creamy. The more heated, the higher the content of carcinogenic compounds in it.

The molecular structure of the oil also has an important influence. According to Iwan T. Budiarso, Based on the presence or absence of double bonds in their molecular structure, the oil can be divided into three groups, namely:

• Oils with saturated fatty acids (saturated fatty acids)

The role of saturated fatty acids for human health no doubt. Saturated fatty acids would increase the HDL (good cholesterol) which acts maintain stable blood vessels, lowers LDL (bad cholesterol), increase insulin secretion and glucose consumption so that blood sugar levels can be stabilized.

Saturated fatty acids such as found in breast milk (lauric acid) and virgin coconut oil (Virgin Coconut Oil / VCO). Its stable and not easily oxidized. Therefore, the VCO will not release free radicals that can damage the body.

• Oils with monounsaturated fatty acids (mono-unsaturated fatty acids) or multiple (poly-unsaturated fatty acids)

Unsaturated fatty acids have carbon double bond atoms are easily decompose and react with other compounds, to obtain a stable composition in the form of saturated fatty acids. The more the number of double bonds that (poly-unsaturated), the easier it is to react / change the oil. Unsaturated fatty acids (omega 3, omega 6, omega 9) is often promoted has many benefits, including lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and prevent heart attacks. Abundant in vegetable oils such as olive oil, soybean oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, etc..

Oils with unsaturated fatty acids better consumed directly without being processed / heated first. When used for cooking, can be used for stir-fry cooking because heat does not last long. If used for frying, unsaturated fatty acids it is easier to form acrylamide, free radicals, and harmful trans fats because it is easy to react. In addition, the amount should not be more than 4 grams a day.

• Oils with trans fatty acids (trans fatty acids).

Trans fatty acids are found in many animal fats, margarine, butter, hydrogenated oils, and formed from the frying process. Besides carcinogenic, trans fats raise levels of bad cholesterol, lower good cholesterol levels, and lead to premature babies.

Besides distinguished by its molecular structure, the oil can also be distinguished by the long-short carbon chain. Among others:

• Medium Carbon Chain Length

Oil with a short carbon chain and is able to be directly absorbed by the body without going through the digestive process convoluted. Immediately taken to the liver to be converted into energy to improve the functioning of the endocrine glands, organs, and tissues of the body. Privilege that makes the oil with a short chain and are not cause health problems. Pancreas, pencernan channel, and the heart works less.

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is that 92% of oil it has a carbon chain length medium (medium chain fatty acids = MCFA). Fifty percent of them are as lauric acid found in breast milk, which can kill a variety of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. In addition, lauric acid contained in coconut oil can also strengthen the body's natural immune system. Molecule consisting of 12 carbon atoms bound saturated (no double bonds).

• Long Carbon Chain Length

Vegetable oils are generally classified as long-chain fatty acids (Long Chain Fatty Acids = LCFA), which consists of 18 carbon atoms or more. Large molecular size, so that needs to be processed first into small fatty acids and free fatty acids in the form that can be absorbed through the intestinal wall.

Having escaped from the bowel wall, free fatty acids are reassembled into lipoproteins was then taken to the liver. There converted into energy, cholesterol, and the rest dumped into fatty tissue. Well, the cholesterol and fat that is the cause of many chronic diseases, degenerative diseases, and cancer. Therefore, the use of oils with unsaturated fatty acids such as vegetable oils, only 4 grams a day is recommended.

According to research, the most content of LCFA / long-chain fatty acids is safflower oil (78%), followed by sunflower oil (69%), and canola oil (31%). LCFA content of the olive oil around 9%, and the lowest is coconut oil (2%).

Considering the information above, we can conclude that the safest cooking oil for our body, it is virgin coconut oil (VCO). While vegetable oils such as olive oil, canola oil, palm oil, vegetable oil and other types, it is better consumed directly or just for sauteing.