TV doctor, NHS’s Dr Amir Khan, has weighed in on the debate surrounding the health risks of air fryers. Speaking on Lorraine, he addressed concerns about ‘forever chemicals’ and emphasised the importance of not damaging the appliance.
Despite being a regular on Good Morning Britain, Dr Khan pointed out that air fryers are somewhat misnamed as they don’t actually fry food. When asked by host Lorraine Kelly about potential health issues associated with air fryers, Dr Khan responded: « I think people sometimes worry about it because a lot of air fryers are nonstick and they worry about the forever chemicals in, in the nonstick stuff, but as long as you look after your air fryer and don’t scratch it or damage it in any way, those non-stick chemicals should stay in the air fryer.
« So what I would say, I know you can put it in the dishwasher, but I would say wash it by hand, so you’re less likely to damage it, rather than use abrasive sponges, use a nice soft cloth with washing, washing up liquid. And when you are taking food out, use wooden utensils or silicone utensils. »
Dr Khan’s rules to keep air fryers safe are:
He added: « You know, scratch the surface and potentially release some of those forever chemicals. Liners are excellent. You can get disposable ones or reusable ones, but if you are worried about that kind of nonstick chemicals, you can get ceramic and stainless steel air fryers as well. »
Dr Khan championed air fryers yet cautioned they’re no panacea for healthy eating. He explained, « They don’t fry food, they just send hot air around that basket and give you that lovely crispy outside and that softer inside of, of the food. They’re about as healthy as the food that you put into them at that age, so they’re not magically going to get rid of the saturated fat of a rush of bacon if you’ve got bacon in there and they won’t get rid of the trans fats of processed chicken wings and that kind of things if you stick them in there. »
He remarked on their ability to reduce fat content: « There’s significantly less calories than if you were shallow frying or even deep frying your food, and they are cheaper than running a conventional oven and in a cost of living crisis, that’s a good thing. »
Dr Khan advised for optimal health, to use the gadget for veggies and lean meats.
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