Our health journey starts in the kitchen. Eating a balanced diet is not the only thing that helps our body. How we cook our food is also extremely important. One of the biggest questions we face is the type of cookware to use.
Actor Soha Ali Khan spoke with Niharika Joshi, co-founder of kitchenware brand Cumin Co., in the latest episode of her podcast about what kind of cookware we can use.
Which Cookware Is Best?
On the new episode of All About Her, Soha Ali Khan spoke with Joshi about the term Teflon flu, wherein overheating a non-stick pan can lead to people getting flu-like symptoms just from the fumes.
The duo also spoke about what kind of kitchenware is best for Indian kitchens.
Joshi said that while Indian food revolves around a lot of spices and cooking at high heat, the issue of what type of cookware to choose is present throughout the world.
The entrepreneur added that Indian food is often high in acidity due to the presence of ingredients such as lemon juice and curd, which can degrade coatings.
“Food cooked in an unhealthy pan can look exactly the same as food cooked in the healthiest pan,” she stated. The important thing was to look at how different materials reacted to high heat and other factors.
In terms of health, Joshi rated enamel cast iron as the best material for cookware since it has a non-reactive coating that lasts for a long time.
The second on her list is cookware made of extremely high-quality steel, such as 304 or 316 grade.
Preseasoned cast iron is something people should use only if they do not have a sufficient amount of iron in their body, Joshi explained.
As for ceramic cookware, the entrepreneur said that more research is still needed on its benefits and side effects. She said that while ceramic cookware is better than Teflon, it still has a chemical coating at the end of the day.
Joshi stated that she would rate Teflon on aluminium as the lowest quality material for utensils and kitchenware. “Please don't use it,” she added.
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Negative Effects Of Unhealthy Cookware
Joshi cited a study done by a third-party firm her company worked with. The research tested eight or nine types of cookware materials and found that a lot of these materials were seeping into the food.
This may lead to autoimmune issues and neurodegenerative diseases. It may even cause fertility problems in women.
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