Health warning: Recycling edible oil can make you prone to cardiovascular diseases
Are you one of those who prefers to reuse your cooking oil because it seems 'clean'? These are some of the dangers that you might be exposing yourself to.
There has been a 70% increase in the price of cooking oil. This is as a result of the global edible oil supply which was negatively affected by poor harvests of oil crops such as sunflowers, palm, soya, and canola, reports Business Insider. The publication has warned that the prices might even increase further.
A normal 2l cooking oil sells for an estimated price of R70.
With the high cost of cooking oil, many people are finding themselves having to reusing the oil, because it saves them from having to buy more.
However, a dietitian warns that reusing cooking oil can pose a health hazard.
"Cooking oil must be used once," says dietitian Sylven Masoga.
He says reheating the oil causes the oil to be more dangerous.
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"Repeated re-heating of the oil turns the oil from cis oil to trans-fatty acids.
"During that process, it is transformed from the good fat which is the cis, to the bad fat which is trans-fatty acids."
He adds that when trans-fatty acids get into your system and into your blood vessels, they cause damage to the blood vessels.
"This can predispose one to cardiovascular diseases," he adds.
Some of the most common cardiovascular diseases include heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure.
Sylven warns that: "the darker the oil becomes because of being heated, the more dangerous it becomes."
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Image courtesy of iStock/ Amfer75