Paytm's Vijay Shekhar Sharma uses ChatGpt to know about cooking oil, netizens react

Fitness influencer Chirag Barjatya took to X to raise awareness about a concerning trend observed in many local shops, where fried snacks like samosas and kachoris are prepared using reused cooking oil, often labeled as (desi ghee). Barjatya highlighted the health risks associated with this practice, shedding light on the potential dangers posed by trans fats.

In his statement, Barjatya pointed out two major issues with this common practice. Firstly, there is a widespread misconception, especially among older generations, that foods fried in "desi ghee" are inherently healthy or safe for consumption. However, this assumption overlooks the fact that such fried foods may contain significant amounts of trans fats, which can pose serious health risks.

"You might have seen shops like “देसी घी में बने हुए कचौड़ी समोसे” There is a massive problem with it. 1. People, and mostly our elders, assume that fried “desi ghee” means healthy or safe for health - but they aren’t.  2. These shopkeepers are famous for using same ghee/oil again and again continuously by reheating for several batches of cooking. No one discards in just one cooking.  Hence, that samosa kachori bhature gets more than 20-30% of trans fats in them. Just to let you know, trans fat is banned by almost all countries. Even in India, FSSAI has allowed only 2% of trans fats at max in products. Trans fats increase the risk of heart-related diseases by 28% and are the reason of almost 3 lakh deaths every year,” Barjatya wrote on X.

The second concern raised by Barjatya revolves around the repeated reuse of cooking oil by shopkeepers. He noted that many local shops continuously reuse the same ghee or oil for several batches of cooking, without discarding it after just one use.

This practice can lead to the accumulation of trans fats in fried foods, with estimates suggesting that samosas, kachoris, and other similar snacks may contain up to 20-30% trans fats.

Trans fats, which are banned in many countries, including India, are known to increase the risk of heart-related diseases. Studies have shown that consumption of trans fats can elevate the risk of heart-related ailments by as much as 28%, contributing to nearly 3 lakh deaths annually.

While tweeting the tweet, Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma used ChatGpt to get more details on this and according to GPT 4’s response, repeatedly heating oil, particularly beyond its smoke point, can lead to the formation of harmful compounds like trans fats and free radicals.

Trans fats, often linked to various health problems like heart disease, can be created during industrial hydrogenation processes but also form when oils are subjected to high temperatures repeatedly. This occurs because the heat alters the molecular structure of the fats, converting some unsaturated fats into these detrimental trans fats.

"I asked Chat GPT to give more details of this and here is directly from GPT4:Reheating and reusing ghee or cooking oil can indeed impact its health properties, including potentially increasing the trans fat content. The process of repeatedly heating oil, especially beyond its smoke point, can lead to chemical changes.

This includes the breakdown of fatty acids and the formation of trans fatty acids, among other potentially harmful compounds like aldehydes, which are linked to various health issues.Trans fats are created through industrial hydrogenation but can also form when oils are repeatedly heated to high temperatures.

This transformation occurs because the high heat can alter the molecular structure of the fats, converting some of the unsaturated fats into trans fats, which are known to be harmful to heart health, increasing bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and decreasing good cholesterol levels (HDL).

Furthermore, each time oil is reheated, its smoking point decreases, and it becomes more prone to oxidative damage, leading to the formation of free radicals and other harmful compounds. The extent of these changes depends on the type of oil, the temperature it's heated to, and the duration of heating.Using oils and fats within their stability limits and avoiding repeated heating can minimize these negative effects.

If reusing oil, it’s advisable to strain it after use to remove food particles that can accelerate degradation and to store it properly until its next use. However, minimizing the reuse of oil and opting for fresher alternatives when possible is the healthier choice," Paytm Founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma wrote on X.

However, X users were not impressed by his tweet and told him to rather focus on Paytm.