Things are tough. Prices are high. Many Nigerian homes are cutting corners just to keep food on the table. In this struggle, one item that often gets “managed” beyond reason is cooking oil.

It’s a familiar routine, you fry akara in the morning, use the same oil for plantain by lunch, and maybe reuse it again for fish or stew the next day. Some even stretch the same oil up to five times. 

While this might seem like a smart way to save money, the truth is far more dangerous: reusing cooking oil more than twice could seriously harm your health even lead to cancer.

What happens when you reheat your oil?

Every time you heat oil, especially to high temperatures like during frying, its structure begins to change. Over time, this repeated heating breaks the oil down and releases harmful chemicals like,

• Free radicals
• Acrolein
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

These substances are known to be toxic and cancer-causing. The more you reuse oil, the more these compounds build up  and the more dangerous your food becomes.

The health risks are real

Scientific research has shown strong links between repeatedly heated oil and several types of cancer:

• Breast cancer: Hormone disruption from toxic compounds in reused oil increases risk.
• Colorectal cancer: The intestines and colon can suffer inflammation and damage from free radicals.
• Pancreatic cancer: Acrolein, a chemical formed from overheated oil has been tied to cell mutations.
• Liver cancer: Your liver filters toxins, but constant exposure to bad oil can overwhelm it and lead to cancerous changes.

A published study in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition even found that animals fed with food fried in reheated oil showed signs of liver damage and early cancer development.

How do you know when oil has gone bad?

If you’ve used the same oil more than once or twice, look out for these warning signs:

• It’s darker in colour or thick in texture
• It smokes or foams quickly when heated
• You see sticky residue at the bottom
• It smells burnt, sour, or just “off”

Topping up old oil with new oil doesn’t fix it. Once it’s bad, it’s bad. And it’s no longer safe to use, no matter how small your budget is.

Better options that won’t Risk Your Health

Saving money shouldn’t come at the cost of your well-being. Here are some smart ways to cut oil waste without endangering your life:

• Use less oil when frying — a shallow pan can do the job
• Switch to air-frying, grilling, or oven-roasting — no oil needed
• Buy affordable, stable oils like palm oil for one-time use
• Avoid deep-frying when it’s not necessary — boil, steam, or stir-fry instead

And remember: using the same oil for different foods like frying fish after akara adds layers of contamination, speeding up the production of toxic chemicals.

We all want to survive these difficult times. But don’t trade your health for a little savings. No amount of “managing” is worth cancer. Use your oil wisely. And when it’s time, throw it away.