Do you need to absorb the oil when eating instant noodles? Is oil-absorbing paper safe?

Recently, a magical operation of "absorbing oil" from food has become popular.

There is oil in the pork rib soup, suck it!

There is oil on the instant noodle soup, suck it!

Have you been planted? Image source: Internet

Any food containing oil can be carefully absorbed with oil-absorbing paper before entering the mouth.

Is it really safe and necessary to do this?

Image source: Wikipedia

01

The role of fats and oils

To understand the dangers of excessive oil control, we must first know what effects oil has on the human body.

55% to 65% of the human body is made up of water. Besides water, fat is the most abundant nutrient in the human body. The fat we eat will first provide the body with the energy it needs, and the excess unused part will be stored as fat. When we are hungry or in severe cold weather, fat will burn to provide us with energy and maintain the normal functioning of various organs in the body.

In addition to maintaining organ function, fat also helps the nervous system function. Among them is an important lipid called "sphingomyelin", which not only constitutes our nervous system, but also constitutes the myelin sheath that protects nerve cells.

When the human body lacks this lipid, the normal functioning of the nervous system will be seriously hindered, and people will lose some of their ability to receive information.

Image source: Wikipedia

Not only that, fats can also improve our body's immunity. Most of the fats we eat will soon enter the lymphatic system, and some of them will enter our blood. These fats are short-chain and medium-chain saturated fats, which can directly enter the blood without digestion and provide energy to cells immediately.

We should know that fats can help digestion in the stomach and intestines and promote the circulation of metabolism. Too little fat intake can easily lead to constipation, and severe constipation can cause a sallow complexion. At the same time, if you don’t eat oil for a long time, the fat in your skin will gradually disappear and become dull.

Image source: hippopx

Not eating fat or not consuming enough fat is not only harmful, but even the oil-absorbing paper we use daily has many safety hazards.

02

Are oil blotting papers safe?

Oil-absorbing paper also poses safety risks.

The first is the hygiene issue. Some substandard oil-absorbing papers pose a great safety hazard and do not meet hygiene standards. When eaten, they will contain excessive heavy metals, which will cause extra burden on the body.

On the other hand, there are side effects caused by temperature. When the food temperature exceeds 170℃, the oil-absorbing paper will release trace toxic substances. Therefore, when using oil-absorbing paper, the temperature of the food should not exceed 165℃ to ensure safety.

Image source: Wikipedia

However, overall, food-grade oil-absorbing paper is relatively safe.

In addition to using oil-absorbing paper, today Tadpole Jun recommends a few good ways to remove oil from food~

03

How to degrease food

If you want to reduce your fat intake, the most fundamental way is to develop a habit of light eating from the beginning. When cooking food, try to choose methods that use appropriate amounts of oil, such as steaming, boiling, stewing, etc., instead of frying and stir-frying. This is not only healthier, but also reduces the intake of cooking oil.

In daily life, we often take a simpler manual method - manually remove the grease from food. If the food is liquid, we can skim off the grease little by little. If the food is solid, we can rinse the food in hot water before eating.

Although this method is effective, it is relatively primitive. There is a magic tool on the market - the oil-water separation spoon. Since the density of edible oil is smaller than that of water, in the oil-water mixture, the oil is always on the upper layer and the water is on the lower layer. The oil-water separation spoon uses the principle of gravity sedimentation to remove impurities and water. The spoon is designed with two layers stacked, and there is a small filtering spoon in the large spoon. Therefore, while the water is discharged, the grease is kept on the surface of the spoon. This technological progress is constantly facilitating our lives.

Image source: Wikipedia

In addition, there is another relatively thorough way to remove oil - put the greasy soup in the refrigerator for a period of time. The oil will naturally solidify under the low temperature. At that time, the oil can be easily disposed of. The food eaten after heating will be healthier and low in fat.

Although fat is a major cause of obesity, as long as it is consumed in moderation, it can also be a great helper in protecting our bodies. Of course, excessive intake is also not good for health.

One more thing: absorbing oil does not mean you can eat whatever you want. Nutritional intake needs to be balanced. Oil-free does not mean healthy.

END

Audit expert: Wang Guoyi, Postdoctoral Fellow in Food Safety

Tadpole Musical Notation original article, please indicate the source when reprinting

Editor/Heart and Paper