In Indian households it is very common to reuse oil after frying food. Sometimes the oil used for making puris in the morning would be used to make pakodas in the evening. This an especially true in festive seasons. Street vendors do this more often as compared to homes. It seems economical but can be very harmful to our health in the long run.
When oil is heated again and again, it starts to break down. It starts getting oxidised and in the process, produces free radicals. This process is called rancidity. Also, the unsaturated fatty acids turn into saturated fatty acids. These substances can affect the body slowly and can increase the risk of heart problems as free radicals cause injury to the endothelium of arteries resulting in plaque formation. Overtime this plaque accumulates and gives rise to atherosclerosis and CAD. Free radicals also accelerate the aging process.
You can easily notice when oil has turned rancid. If the oil appears darkened, is sticky or viscous with a strong irritating smell and you notice that there is foam formation while frying; it’s an indication that you discard the oil.
So, saving a little oil today should not cost us our health tomorrow. So it’s important for us to be mindful of how we cook food.
This was about rancidity. Do you know other food preparation techniques which may be reducing the nutritional quality of the food and ways to prevent that from happening?
MBH/PS