#Cookingoil

A recent warning from health experts has highlighted that a widespread kitchen habit—reusing cooking oil for frying—could unknowingly raise cholesterol levels, putting millions at risk of long-term heart disease. While many Thai families reuse their cooking oil as a way to save money and reduce waste, mounting scientific evidence reveals this common practice could be a silent contributor to elevated cholesterol and cardiovascular risk, making it an urgent public health concern.

A growing health alert highlights a common Thai practice that may quietly raise cholesterol: reusing cooking oil for frying. While saving money and reducing waste, this habit can lead to chemical changes in oil that increase heart disease risk over time.

In Thai households, street food stalls, and community kitchens, families often reuse the same oil for deep-frying popular dishes such as fried chicken, spring rolls, and doughnuts. New research and health reporting point to oil reheating as a trigger for chemical transformations that produce harmful trans fats and oxidized compounds. Data from reputable sources shows these substances can raise LDL “bad” cholesterol and lower HDL “good” cholesterol, heightening cardiovascular risk.

A new study from Weill Cornell Medicine links a common cooking oil fat to aggressive breast cancer, specifically triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). While the finding adds to important scientific discussions, Thai researchers urge caution and context. Nutrition decisions should be balanced and based on overall diet, not on a single study or ingredient.

In Thailand, everyday cooking often relies on soybean, sunflower, and corn oils. These oils are rich in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for health but contested in current research. The New York study suggests linoleic acid can activate pathways that may promote TNBC growth in certain biological contexts, particularly when the FABP5 protein is also elevated. Researchers observed in animal studies that this interaction can trigger the mTORC1 pathway, which drives cell growth and metabolism, potentially accelerating tumor progression. Patients with TNBC showed higher levels of both FABP5 and linoleic acid in their blood, according to the study.

A recent scientific breakthrough has linked a common fat found in everyday cooking oils to the growth of aggressive forms of breast cancer—specifically, triple-negative breast cancer. But leading researchers caution Thai consumers not to rush to abandon their favorite oils just yet, emphasizing context and the importance of a balanced diet, rather than panic or rash dietary changes. The findings, published by a research team from Weill Cornell Medicine in New York and recently summarized in an article by The Conversation (source), have generated a lively debate across both global medical circles and Thai health forums.