Freshly cooked dishes often smell delicious, but what you might not know is that some common cooking habits in the kitchen could silently be “planting seeds” for health risks—particularly by significantly increasing the presence of carcinogenic substances. Here are the “invisible killers” in your kitchen that you should avoid:
1. Waiting for oil to smoke before cooking
Many people wait until the oil is hot and starts to smoke before adding food, thinking it will make dishes taste better. However, this habit is harmful to your health:
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Produces carcinogens: Starchy foods exposed to high temperatures can produce acrylamide, a Group 2A carcinogen. Protein-rich foods may form heterocyclic amines, strong cancer-causing agents that accumulate in the body, weaken the immune system, and increase cancer risk. Overheated fats can generate benzo[a]pyrene, a confirmed carcinogen.
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Creates trans fats: It’s not just processed foods that contain trans fats. When cooking oil is heated beyond 200°C (especially when it starts smoking), even for a short time, trans fats can form. These are linked to heart disease, diabetes, and chronic inflammation.
2. Reusing cooking oil multiple times
Oil reused after frying—known as “reused oil”—is extremely harmful if consumed frequently.
After being repeatedly heated at high temperatures, this oil generates harmful substances like acrylamide, heterocyclic amines, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Studies have shown that reusing oil seven times can increase malondialdehyde levels—a byproduct of fat oxidation—by 30 times. This compound can cause mutations, damage intestinal cells, harm the nervous system, and even lead to cancer.
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