You care a lot about staying healthy. That’s why you’re trying to get more exercise, drop those extra inches, get enough rest and eat right. But if you are overcooking your food, a chemical toxin you’ve probably never even heard of could be putting you at higher risk for developing some types of cancer.
It’s called acrylamide and it’s ubiquitous in the Western diet. According to the U.S. Grocery Manufacturers Association, acrylamide is found in 40 percent of the calories consumed in the average American diet.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chemist Lauren Robin explained that acrylamide is a chemical that forms in some foods — mainly plant-based foods — during high-temperature cooking processes like baking or frying.
Acrylamide is known to cause cancer in animals so scientists believe it is likely to cause cancer in humans as well. Some recent studies have raise concern.
An 11-year prospective study of post-menopausal Dutch women detected a small, but significantly increased risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer, but not breast cancer, associated with intake of acrylamide from food.
A second retrospective study found one significant positive result between hemoglobin markers for acrylamide and estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer.
At certain doses acrylamide is also toxic to the nervous system of animals and humans and may harm fertility, according to the World Health Organization.
Robin says acrylamide has probably been around as long as people have been baking, roasting, toasting or frying foods, but the toxin wasn’t identified in food until 2002.
Get this -- Prior to 2002, the chemical was known primarily for being used in the construction of dam foundations and tunnels or treating wastewater.
Since then, acrylamide has been found in numerous cooked and heat-processed foods in the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.
Generally speaking, acrylamide forms from sugars and an amino acid that are naturally present in food. The formation occurs when foods are cooked at home and in restaurants as well as when they are made commercially, but it isn’t found in dairy, meat and fish products.
The highest levels to date were identified in starchy foods such as potato and cereal products.
FoodDrinkEurope, a trade group representing the European Food and Drink industry, has identified the primary food culprits as:
- • Potato products, including French fries, potato crisps or chips and fabricated products made from potatoes, such as instant potato flakes and granules.
- • Coffee, roasted grains and chicory, including roast and ground coffee, instant coffee and coffee substitutes.
- • Baby foods, including baby biscuits, infant cereals and non-cereals.
- • Cereal products, including breakfast cereals, soft and crisp breads, biscuits, crackers, semi-sweet products, pastries, gingerbread, cakes, wafers and short sweet biscuits.
"Acrylamide is more likely to accumulate when cooking is done for longer periods or at higher temperatures," Robin said. “Boiling and steaming foods don’t typically cause acrylamide to form.”
FDA and international consumer food agencies are actively investigating the effects of acrylamide as well as potential measures to reduce it.
In the United States, the FDA is working with growers, manufacturers and food service operators by offering practical strategies to help lower the amount of acrylamide in foods associated with higher levels of the chemical prior to products reaching grocers’ shelves.
Robin said that it isn't feasible to completely eliminate acrylamide from your diet. Nor is it necessary. “Removing any one or two foods from your diet would not have a significant effect on overall exposure to acrylamide.”
However consumers can do more to lower their acrylamide intake by following these tips:
- • Frying causes acrylamide formation. If frying frozen fries, follow manufacturers' recommendations on time and temperature and avoid overcooking, heavy crisping or burning.
- • Toast bread to a light brown color rather than a dark brown color. Avoid very brown or blackened areas.
- • Cook cut potato products such as frozen French fries to a golden yellow color rather than a brown color. Brown areas tend to contain more acrylamide.
- • Do not store potatoes in the refrigerator, which can increase acrylamide during cooking. Keep potatoes outside the refrigerator in a dark, cool place, such as a closet or a pantry.
The FDA also recommends lowering your cancer risk by adhering to a healthy eating plan, consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including:
- • Plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk products.
- • Lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts.
• Foods low in saturated fats, trans fat (which both raises your bad LDL cholesterol and lowers your good HDL cholesterol and is linked to heart attacks), cholesterol, salt and added sugars.
The National Cancer Institute has more information about acrylamide in food.
Lynette Summerill is an award-winning writer and Scuba enthusiast who lives in San Diego with her husband and two beach loving dogs. In addition to writing about cancer-related issues for EmpowHER, her work has been seen in publications internationally.
Sources:
You can help cut Acrylamide in your diet. FDA Consumer Update. 11/14/2013.
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm374855.htm?source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Acrylamide Toolbox. 2011 FoodDrink Europe
http://www.fooddrinkeurope.eu/uploads/publications_documents/Toolboxfinal260911.pdf
Acrylamide in Food. Fact Sheet. World Health Organization.
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/chem/acrylamide_faqs/en/index.html
Chemical Contaminants: Acrylamide. Health Canada.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/chem-chim/food-aliment/acrylamide/index-eng.php
Dietary acrylamide intake and the risk of endromentrial, ovarian and/or breast cancer. Health Canada archived article.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/chem-chim/food-aliment/acrylamide/acrylamide_study-etude-eng.php
Reviewed December 10, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith