They aren’t measuring actual cancer rates, just the exposure to benzene and using that to estimate cancer risk. But compared to what? No cooking at all!
The real world is more complex. What’s the health exposure of eating out all the time or grilling (charcoal or propane)? How healthy are cooked foods vs. microwaved foods?
At best, this study suggests you should have good home ventilation.
Good point actually about the air ventilation. I was pretty meh about it unless something started to burn, but I recently bought a cheap air quality meter and measure spikes 2 rooms away. And just from normal cooking. Stoves, air fryer, ovens… Just a good habit to get into.
If you have an external venting range hood, use it all the time even if it’s just on low.
Recently installed a top-tier range hood and the company owner came out to meet me in their showroom. He pointed out stoves have gotten hotter over the past years, especially with wok cooking, so running the hood is essential when the stove is on if just to keep the electronics cool. This significantly extends the devices life.
Last decent study I saw (I’m too lazy to go find it) showed that grilling or smoking meat seems to increase health risks including cancer by a noticeable amount. Higher than I was comfortable with seeing, considering how often I grill or smoke meat. But, I still do it plenty. I didn’t see the data crossed out by the amount of meat intake, which is generally higher for people who grill at all. And could honestly account for some added health risks.
They aren’t measuring actual cancer rates, just the exposure to benzene and using that to estimate cancer risk. But compared to what? No cooking at all!
The real world is more complex. What’s the health exposure of eating out all the time or grilling (charcoal or propane)? How healthy are cooked foods vs. microwaved foods?
At best, this study suggests you should have good home ventilation.
Good point actually about the air ventilation. I was pretty meh about it unless something started to burn, but I recently bought a cheap air quality meter and measure spikes 2 rooms away. And just from normal cooking. Stoves, air fryer, ovens… Just a good habit to get into.
If you have an external venting range hood, use it all the time even if it’s just on low.
Recently installed a top-tier range hood and the company owner came out to meet me in their showroom. He pointed out stoves have gotten hotter over the past years, especially with wok cooking, so running the hood is essential when the stove is on if just to keep the electronics cool. This significantly extends the devices life.
Last decent study I saw (I’m too lazy to go find it) showed that grilling or smoking meat seems to increase health risks including cancer by a noticeable amount. Higher than I was comfortable with seeing, considering how often I grill or smoke meat. But, I still do it plenty. I didn’t see the data crossed out by the amount of meat intake, which is generally higher for people who grill at all. And could honestly account for some added health risks.