Dr Hector Perera        London

There are so many cooking programmes in British TV, almost on daily basis. One thing I didn’t notice is there was no technique to save energy and to avoid any cooking aroma while cooking, still the programme producers give priority to their kind of cooking.  While cooking so many other gases are formed and the chefs totally ignore them that means they pollute the atmosphere while cooking that means the chefs tend to inhale those polluted gases while they were given out while cooking. It has been found that inhaling polluted gases would bring about breathing difficulties and other cardiovascular problems.

The cause of cardiovascular disease

The primary cause of cardiovascular disease is atherosclerosis – the narrowing and eventual blockage of arteries by the deposition of fatty plaques on the walls of the artery. Eventually these plaques can rupture – thrombosis – and the resultant blood clot deprives vital tissues of oxygen. If this happens in the major blood vessels supplying the heart, you have a heart attack. In the brain, you have a stroke. In the peripheral arteries, crippling pain can result.

Don’t Miss the Early Signs of Heart Disease

There is a common misconception that minor pain or pain in various parts of the body does not indicate a heart problem. Some people are surprised to discover that not all heart attacks involve massive pain or a collapse that results in the need for an ambulance. In fact, some indicators are so insignificant that people overlook or dismiss them. If you have any of the symptoms below, you should see your doctor and ask him if they could be early signs of heart disease.

Angina

This painful condition is sometimes the precursor to cardiac arrest, although it can also recur for years without triggering any more serious signs. Angina is the most common early warning of cardiovascular disease and can manifest itself in a variety of ways, including a feeling of heaviness in the chest, pain, a squeezing sensation, weight on the chest or a deep pain that causes you to catch your breath. Many people mistake angina for heartburn or indigestion, particularly since the pain is sometimes felt in other areas of the body, including pain in the shoulder, the middle or upper region of the back or even the jaw line.

Atherosclerosis

This is the narrowing or blocking of the major arteries due to the build-up of plaque from too much cholesterol. Years ago, it was referred to as hardening of the arteries. As the arteries become clogged, blood flow to and from the heart is restricted, forcing the heart to work harder. Most people first notice poor circulation that leads to difficulty keeping their hands and feet warm.

More Early Signs of Heart Disease

There are other indications of heart disease that may come and go for months or even years without an individual connecting them with any sort of serious problem such as cardiovascular illness. Among these are dizziness, shortness of breath after exertion or exercise, sweating, a rapid pulse and heart palpitations. Many people dismiss these signs if they are under fifty years of age, particularly if the symptoms come and go. 

from short term exposure to cooking fumes.

Exposure to cooking fumes is abundant both in domestic homes and in professional cooks and entails a possible risk of deleterious health effects. When food is cooked at temperatures up to 300°C, carbohydrates, proteins, and fat are reduced to toxic products, such as aldehydes and alkanoic acids which can cause irritation of the airway mucosa. Cooking fumes also contains carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic compounds. Exposure to cooking fumes has also been associated in several studies with an increased risk of respiratory cancer. Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified emissions from high temperature frying as probably carcinogenic to humans.

Frying at high temperatures also produces aerosols of fat with small aerodynamic diameters of 20–500 nm which disperse in the air of the kitchen and nearby facilities. Such aerosols, containing fatty acids, irritate the airway mucosa, and can cause pneumonia. It has also been shown that the inhalation of aerosols of oil mist from other kinds of oils can cause small airway obstruction. Chinese investigations have shown that exposure to cooking fumes at work can be associated with rhinitis, respiratory disorders, and impaired pulmonary function. In two Norwegian studies, it has been shown that cooks and kitchen workers had an increased occurrence of respiratory distress associated with work and increased mortality from airway disease. Few other studies have addressed the biological effects of exposure to cooking fumes in western domestic and professional kitchens.

Spirometry is the most common, and also a quite sensitive pulmonary function test. It has been used for a long time in many investigations, for detecting chronic work-related impaired lung function in general, but it has also been possible to study short term cross-shift changes in different settings. The traditional spirometric time-volume curve measures the bowl function of the lungs, while flow-volume curves and other measures also give indications of the function of the smaller and more peripheral airways.

The aim of this study was to see if short term exposure to moderate levels of cooking fumes in an indoor environment causes changes in pulmonary function.

Persons who come into contact with food, in either occupational or non-occupational settings, can inhale food particles that may lead to adverse reactions in highly sensitive individuals, or may cause de novo sensitization. Although the degree of exposure to food allergens is a major factor, concomitant environmental exposures to non-specific irritants can enhance the reactivity of the respiratory tract. Given the unpredictability and variety of these exposures, their identification by patients and clinicians can be challenging.

If anyone watched British TV cooking programmes, you would notice the contestants always produce far too much cooking aroma while cooking. When they cook, they have to stay there that means they invariably inhale those unhealthy fumes. The so called judges appear to be not taking any notice of how the contestants cook as far as the final products are palatable to them. Who would agree that kind of cooking and judgements are right and let the public watch that kind of competitions. Sometimes TV is a media for educating the public but these kinds of cooking certainly would not help the public to cook in the correct manner.

Research findings about cooking aroma

Exposure to cooking fumes is abundant both in domestic homes and in professional cooks and entails a possible risk of deleterious health effects. When food is cooked at temperatures up to 300°C, carbohydrates, proteins, and fat are reduced to toxic products, such as aldehydes and alkanoic acids which can cause irritation of the airway mucosa. Cooking fumes also contains carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic compounds. Exposure to cooking fumes has also been associated in several studies with an increased risk of respiratory cancer.

One must understand about the health aspects as well in cooking rather than cooking only. Back home in Sri Lanka even most uneducated ladies are aware of cooking but not the science behind cooking. I managed to demonstrate how to cook scientifically saving nearly 60% energy. My method was demonstrated to Sustainable Energy Authority and also to the Invention Commission in Sri Lanka. My method was approved by them and they awarded me a certificate as well. If the British public watched my method of scientific energy saving cooking then they would save plenty of energy that means money. I have followed some scientific laws that are more than two centuries old and still accepted so my method should be correct. If my method was disproved then there is a huge sum of money to give away. Please remember according to science every action must have an equal and opposite reaction. Only if one needs to save energy and cut down some air pollution while cooking so why not let me demonstrate my scientific energy saving cooking so that majority of British people would benefit. Your comments are welcomed perera6@hotmail.co.uk