KOCHI: Come Onam the sound of banana slices falling into hot oil rings across Kochi even as the demand for banana chips skyrockets. But before leaping into the shop to grab a pack of ‘fresh and crispy’ chips, just look into the frying pot and the colour of the oil; if it is dark, you are probably buying yourself a ticket to the nearest cancer-care unit or cardiology department.Experts reveal that the prolonged use of reheated oil can lead to deadly diseases like cancer, heart attack and much more.“In most shops, the oil is heated from the morning and is turned off only at night. Heating oil continuously at very high temperatures can lead to a lot of chemical reactions,” says Dr Thomas Varughese, a cancer specialist. “Heating oil releases certain chemical compounds. When the food containing reheated oil is consumed, these substances attack and destroy the mucosa layer of the intestine. While in normal course, the mucosa layer rebuilds itself, it will be easy for carcinogenic substances to enter our system when the mucosa layer is disintegrated,” he added.If this is the case when oil is reheated once, imagine what will happen when the same oil is being heated many times?Dr K Pavithran, an oncologist in Kochi, agrees, “Heating and reheating oil is one of the most common carcinogenic lifestyle errors. At a high temperature, the fat in the oil degenerates and releases toxic substances. While the process is repeated (as in the case of shops and restaurants), the amount of toxic substances released increases.”Heart diseases are not far behind.“Using oil itself is harmful for the heart as it contains a lot of fat. This means more calories; more chance of getting clogged blood vessels. This heightens the risk of heart attack,” says Dr Mukundan Menon, a cardiologist.All this head-spinning advice ends with a question: are we fortunate to get any non-carcinogenic chips this Onam?
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