Gas stoves are estimated to lead to 40,000 premature deaths each year, shaving off roughly two years of an average person’s life span.

Here’s a fly in the dal makhani for you ! The gas stove or cook-top , the heart of many kitchens, quietly boiling our morning milk, simmering soups, and so on, is apparently shaving years off our lives. Yes, ladies, your trusted kitchen companion is now under the spotlight, accused of plotting against your lungs and longevity.

India, on a noble quest to swap coal and wood-burning stoves for cleaner alternatives, might soon find itself caught in a culinary conundrum. As we jubilantly ignite our gas stoves, researchers in Spain have just dropped a bombshell: gas stoves are responsible for more premature deaths in Europe than car crashes. The very idea could give indigestion to the most stoic among us.

According to the report, the innocent blue flame we’ve been cozying up to emits nitrogen oxides—a lung irritant and an asthma trigger. Let’s not forget benzene, a known carcinogen, lurking in the kitchen like an uninvited guest at a dinner party. These pollutants, wafting around our homes, are estimated to lead to 40,000 premature deaths annually in the European Union and Britain, and a hefty bill of $4.3 billion in additional health spending for asthma cases in children alone. One has no clue about what it does to Indians, probably because we haven’t done the research yet!

The cat was let out of the bag since the 1980s! Scientists have been waving red flags, but much like that one dodgy ‘uncle’ at family gatherings, the gas stove has managed to hang around, largely unregulated, thanks to industry pushback and voluntary inaction.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is finally taking a closer look. The prospect of regulating the beloved gas stove has caused a political stir, yet states like New York are already eyeing a future where natural gas appliances are relics of the past.

For those of us in India, clinging to our gas stoves, what’s to be done? The advice is simple yet exasperating: ditch the gas stove for an electric one. Easier said than done in a country where the electricity supply is fickle, and homeowners balk at the cost of replacing a perfectly functional stove. For those of us stuck with our gas guzzlers, ventilation is our best friend. Turn on the vent hoods, crack open a window, and shoo away any aspiring sous-chefs while the gas is flowing.

As we navigate this kitchen crisis, perhaps the bigger question is how we balance convenience with health. As much as we’d love to sauté our worries away, it’s clear that our gas stoves have some skeletons in the cupboard. So, next time you fire up the stove, remember: a dash of caution could be the secret ingredient to a healthier life.

WRITTEN BY EFFKAY BASED ON AN ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

  Frank Krishner, naked truth, opinion