An indispensable attribute in the kitchen of all healthy people and those who are losing weight, baking foil, makes the dishes less high in calories when compared with the same dishes, but cooked in a pan and fried. But here’s how safe the foil is, let’s figure it out with an expert.
Scientists have no questions about foil as a method of cooking, namely, baking. Baked dishes are really healthier: less fat, less carcinogens, less dangerous compounds that are formed in the process of frying most types of oils.
But there is a nuance – when the foil is heated, the aluminum from which it is made gets into the food. Of course, a thin sheet of metal does not dissolve completely mixing with your dinner, but small doses of metal can easily get into food.
Aluminum is not a hazardous metal, it is not lead, of course. And in small quantities it is able to leave the human body without a trace. The WHO (World Health Organization) even introduced the norm of aluminum for a person – 40 mg of aluminum per day per 1 kg of kilogram of weight.
Considering that a number of drugs, including those for the treatment of gastritis, contain this very substance, and there were no general complaints of aluminum poisoning, we can conclude that you should not panic too much because of the foil. But provided that you do not use this method of cooking too often. It should be borne in mind that aluminum already enters the body of many of us in the most unexpected ways: through metal dishes (pots, for example), through food – herbs, spices, salt and even corn. Therefore, it is not advised to cook in aluminum dishes.
Nutritionist, Project V expert
“Aluminum citrate – the most commonly formed aluminum salt during cooking – damages cell membranes, cell membranes,” the expert adds.
“This metal is dangerous because it is deposited in the brain tissue, which ultimately, after decades, can adversely affect human brain activity, in old age it can be associated with dementia. It is not scary to eat from an aluminum container once: there will be no direct poisoning, but it is definitely not worth doing this all your life. ”
By the way
The higher the temperature, the higher the risks. Scientists from the University of Cairo Ain Shams Gada Bassioni said that the “migration of aluminum into products” when using foil specifically for baking in the oven is higher than the norm established by the WHO.
The researchers believe that foil should not be used for cooking at any temperature, but it is a good way to store food in the refrigerator or transport it when you need to wrap a sandwich in something for a snack in the office or on the road.