Most of us give little attention to the idea of reusing oil in the kitchen. After all, what is wrong with that golden puddle of oil after frying a last batch of pakoras or samosas? But here comes the catch: TPM in cooking oil might be lurking as an insidious health hazard under that seductive crispiness and familiar smell.
Have you never heard of it? You are not alone. But read on, and your attitude towards used oil will be changed for eternity. Now, let us examine what Total Polar Materials, or TPM, is and why its evil can affect you more than you may think.
TPM (Total Polar Materials): What is It?
Total Polar Materials are those generated during the heating process of frying oil, especially high-temperature cooking such as deep-frying. The reuse and overheating of oil will decompose and cause chemical reactions to happen in them, leading to the formation of toxic substances. Byproducts include:
- Free fatty acids
- Aldehydes
- Ketones
- Peroxides and polymers
These become more abundant in the oil and raise its total polar material value as a result. The higher the TPM, the more deteriorated and toxic the oil.
How Cooking Oil Breaks Down
TPM results from heat-induced chemical reactions occurring when oil is heated past its smoke point.
- Oxidation: one such reaction in which oxygen reacts with cooking oil, producing peroxides and aldehydes.
- Hydrolysis: another one of the three principal concurrent reactions, occurs when water from food interacts with the oil, breaking triglycerides into free fatty acids.
- Polymerization: where toxic polymers can form as a result of oil heating.
All three of these reactions cause TPM buildup, thus making the oil unsuitable for human consumption.
5 Reasons Why TPM in Cooking Oil is Harmful for Health
1. Formation of Dangerous Products: Decomposing frying oil may produce harmful substances like trans fats and free radicals that are responsible for diseases such as cancer, inflammation, and heart disease.
2. Loss of Nutrients: The presence of essential nutrients and antioxidants is missing from the nutritional value of bottled oil because of degradation.
3. Bad Odor and Taste: An animal fried in high TPM oil may give it a rotten flavor and smell, ruining the entire eating experience.
4. Decreased Smoke Point: Increased TPM will reduce the smoke point of oils even further, thus increasing the tendency of oils to smoke and, worse, to emit potentially harmful odors during frying.
5. Digestive discomfort: Cooking food using deteriorated oil can affect its digestibility by the body and, consequently, lead to digestive discomfort.
Which High TPMs Are Hazardous to Your Health?
Now, let’s address the important point: health. Numerous health complications have been implicated in cooking oil having a high TPM. The following describes what this is doing inside your body:
1. Higher Chance for Heart Disease
Oxidized fats in oil contribute to decreased HDL (good cholesterol) levels and increased LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. Hence, they increase atherosclerosis risk by causing plaque to form in the arteries.
2. Cancer-Causing Chemicals
Aldehydes and other carcinogenic molecules exist in oils with high TPM. They can damage DNA and stimulate cancer cell proliferation, especially in organs like the liver and colon.
3. Inflammation-Causing Chemicals
Degraded oil releases chemicals that result in long-term inflammation. Inflammation is known to worsen several diseases, including diabetes, obesity, and arthritis.
4. Damage to Liver Function
The liver has a lot to do to filter these toxic substances out. The prolonged intake can potentially cause hepatic impairment and fatty liver disease.
5. Impairment of the Immune System
High-TPM oil reduces nutrition absorption and damages gut health. As a result, over time, your immune system will decline, making you vulnerable to infection.
What are the Characteristics of the TPM in Cooking Oil?
Unfortunately, one cannot tell the TPM level just by smelling or seeing the oil, but there are signs that act as red flags.
- Dark in color or brownish
- viscous or sticky texture
- Excessive foaming, pungent fumes, or bad odor during cooking
- Frequent deep frying
What’s the best solution? Get a TPM meter that quantifies total polar materials in the oil accurately. It is predominantly employed in industrial kitchens and restaurants. However, it is now slowly inching towards the home turf.
5 Tips to Avoid Consuming the TPM in Cooking Oil
1. Monitor temperature: Keep the oil in the right temperature range according to the cooking process you are doing. Measure temperature with a thermometer to avoid temperature elevation, as this causes the formation of more TPM.
2. Filtering oil is paramount: Filter the oil after every use in order to remove contaminations and food particles. This way the TPM contents can be lowered and the oil life can be prolonged.
3. Avoiding excessive use: Trashing oil after a couple of deep-frying occasions should be taken into consideration. Throw out any oil that appears badly off-color or gives off a horrible smell.
4. Affects Liver Function: The liver is working very hard to filter these dangerous substances out. Prolonged use can cause liver impairment and fatty liver disease.
5. Impairs Immune Function: High TPM oil reduces nutrition absorption and damages gut health. Eventually, the immune systems would be in deterioration, making one vulnerable to diseases.
Conclusion
if you’re a parent, supervising a stall, or simply an epicure, an understanding of TPM in cooking oils can help you keep safety in mind while making food choices. Above all, remember that flavor doesn’t have to suffer in the name of health.
Want to tell the world? Encourage one food lover to share this blog. Let’s make health go viral, starting one drop of oil at a time.
Read further about health and wellness on the Shape and Strength website.
