Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. It was initially printed February 8, 2017.
In 2002, researchers found a cancer-causing and doubtlessly neurotoxic chemical known as acrylamide is created when carbohydrate-rich meals are cooked at excessive temperatures, whether or not baked, fried, roasted, grilled or toasted.
Acrylamide is the byproduct of a chemical response between sugars and the amino acid asparagine, which happens at excessive temperatures. While the chemical can kind in lots of meals cooked or processed at temperatures above 250 levels F (120 levels C), carbohydrate-rich meals are by far essentially the most weak.
As a common rule, acrylamide varieties when plant-based meals are heated sufficient to provide a reasonably dry and “browned” or charred floor,1,2 therefore, it is most readily present in:3
- Potatoes — Chips, french fries and different roasted or fried potato meals
- Grains — Bread crust, toast, crisp bread, roasted breakfast cereals and numerous processed snacks equivalent to crackers and cookies
- Coffee; roasted espresso beans and floor espresso powder. Surprisingly, espresso substitutes based mostly on chicory really incorporates two to 3 instances extra acrylamide than actual espresso
- Cocoa merchandise
Acrylamide Is Common in Standard American Diet
In November 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a shopper replace4 advising folks to cut back consumption of meals wherein acrylamide is plentiful, noting this poisonous byproduct is present in 40% of energy consumed by the common American.
To reduce acrylamide out of your weight-reduction plan, the company recommends avoiding fried meals, and toasting or cooking gadgets equivalent to bread and potatoes to a lightweight golden coloration slightly than darkish brown or blackened. Also, do not retailer potatoes in your fridge, because the chilling really will increase acrylamide ranges throughout cooking.5
This impact is because of starch turning into sugar sooner when the potato is uncovered to decrease temperatures. The style of the potato can be adversely affected for a similar cause. (Frozen meals, however, don’t carry this threat as sugars will not be damaged down at freezing temperatures.)
Store potatoes in a darkish, dry closet or pantry as an alternative. You can additional scale back acrylamide formation by soaking the potatoes in water for 15 to half-hour earlier than cooking.
While the FDA makes no point out of avoiding processed meals containing potatoes and grains on the whole, that is one other no-brainer, as many are processed at excessive temperatures and subsequently could comprise acrylamide.
Acrylamide Linked to Cancer in Animals
Animal research have proven that acrylamide will increase the chance of a number of varieties of most cancers, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) considers acrylamide a “possible human carcinogen.” According to a 1988 research:6
“The knowledge present that acrylamide is able to inducing genotoxic, carcinogenic, developmental and reproductive results in examined organisms. Thus, acrylamide could pose greater than a neurotoxic well being hazard to uncovered people.
Acrylamide is a small natural molecule with very excessive water solubility. These properties most likely facilitate its fast absorption and distribution all through the physique.
After absorption, acrylamide is quickly metabolized, primarily by glutathione conjugation, and the vast majority of utilized materials is excreted inside 24 hours … Acrylamide can bind to DNA … which has implications for its genotoxic and carcinogenic potential.”
Human Cancer Studies Show Mixed Results
In people, the outcomes seem extra combined. A research7 printed in 2007 linked greater dietary acrylamide consumption with an elevated threat of endometrial and ovarian most cancers in postmenopausal girls, significantly amongst non-smokers.
A 2009 research8 additionally discovered that greater acrylamide intakes had been related to the next threat of sure varieties of breast most cancers in comparison with decrease intakes — particularly breast cancers which can be estrogen and progesterone receptor optimistic.
However, the affiliation was minor, and no affiliation was discovered for total breast most cancers threat or receptor-negative breast most cancers. Acrylamide has additionally been linked to nerve harm and different neurotoxic results, together with neurological issues in employees dealing with the substance.
On the opposite hand, a 2015 evaluate9 concluded dietary acrylamide is unrelated to most cancers threat for commonest cancers, apart from kidney most cancers, for which they discovered a “modest affiliation.”
They additionally famous that amongst non-smokers, “dietary acrylamide appeared to barely enhance threat of endometrial and ovarian most cancers as effectively.” Still, concern about acrylamide within the weight-reduction plan seems to be rising, not settling.
The United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) launched a “Go for Gold” marketing campaign10,11 geared toward lowering dietary acrylamide publicity, noting that “the scientific consensus is that acrylamide has the potential to trigger most cancers in people.”
And, as famous by George Alexeeff, Ph.D., deputy director for scientific affairs on the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), which oversees implementation of California’s Proposition 65:
“We undoubtedly imagine acrylamide is a chemical to be involved about. Our common presumption is that until there’s another proof, we assume that if one thing causes most cancers in animals, it causes most cancers in people.”
Acrylamide Levels in Food Often Surpass Legal Limits for Water
The federal restrict for acrylamide in consuming water is 0.5 elements per billion (ppb), or about 0.12 micrograms (mcg) in an 8-ounce glass of water. Meanwhile, a 6-ounce serving of french fries can comprise 60 mcg acrylamide.
That’s about 500 instances the allowable restrict for consuming water. It appears a bit odd that one thing that will be poisonous in consuming water would all of the sudden be innocent in meals.
Unfortunately, whereas the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates acrylamide in consuming water and the FDA regulates the quantity of acrylamide residue in supplies which will are available contact with meals, they don’t presently have any pointers limiting the chemical in meals itself, although they need to.
A 2002 meals evaluation printed within the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry12 discovered reasonable ranges of acrylamide (5 to 50 mcg/kg) in heated protein-rich meals and better ranges (150 to 4,000 mcg/kg) in carbohydrate-rich meals.
Unheated or boiled meals confirmed undetectable ranges (<5 mcg/kg) of acrylamide, main the researchers to conclude that: “Consumption habits point out that the acrylamide ranges within the studied heated meals may result in a day by day consumption of some tens of micrograms.”
Whether or not such ranges are secure remains to be largely unknown, however I might vote for taking a precautionary strategy and limiting your publicity as a lot as doable. It’s actually not a good suggestion to eat recognized toxins, even in minute quantities.
Worst Offender: Potato Chips
Potato chips are among the many worst offenders, by far.13 So a lot in order that in 2005 the state of California sued14 potato chip makers for failing to warn California shoppers in regards to the well being dangers of acrylamide of their merchandise. The 2005 report “How Potato Chips Stack Up: Levels of Cancer-Causing Acrylamide in Popular Brands of Potato Chips,” issued by the California-based Environmental Law Foundation (ELF), spelled out the risks of this widespread snack.
According to their evaluation, ALL potato chip merchandise examined exceeded the authorized restrict of acrylamide by a minimal of 39 instances, and as a lot as 910 instances! Interestingly, FDA knowledge reveals that baked chips, which are sometimes touted as a more healthy chip, can comprise greater than thrice the extent of acrylamide in common chips.15
A settlement between California and the potato chip makers was reached in 200816 when Frito-Lay and several other others agreed to cut back the acrylamide ranges of their chips to 275 ppb by 2011, which is low sufficient to keep away from needing a Prop. 65 most cancers warning label.
How to Make a Safer Potato Dish
While french fries are typically among the many hottest potato dishes, that is maybe one of many worst methods to eat your potatoes. Not solely do you might have acrylamide to take care of, however until you are frying them in coconut oil or lard, you are additionally getting a healthy dose of dangerous vegetable oil. This does not imply it’s important to forgo potatoes altogether although. By storing and making ready them appropriately, potatoes can nonetheless be a wholesome addition to your weight-reduction plan.
The secret is to arrange them in such a method that you just enhance the digestive-resistant starch within the potatoes. (As talked about earlier, remember to retailer them in a cool, dry place, equivalent to your pantry, slightly than your fridge. When potatoes are saved chilly, larger quantities of acrylamide are produced throughout cooking.)
Digestive-resistant starches — present in unripe fruits equivalent to bananas, papayas and mangoes, in addition to white beans, lentils, seeds, tapioca starch, brown rice flour, chilled cooked potatoes and even chilled cooked pasta17 — are fibers that resist digestion within the small gut and slowly ferment in your massive gut, the place they act as prebiotics that feed wholesome micro organism.18,19
Importantly, since they are not digestible, resistant starches don’t lead to blood sugar spikes. In truth, analysis suggests resistant starches assist enhance insulin regulation, lowering your threat of insulin resistance.20,21,22,23 Resistant starch can also facilitate weight reduction and is related to a decrease threat of colorectal most cancers.24
One of the obvious dishes that come to thoughts right here is potato salad.25,26 But bean salad, pasta salad and quinoa salad may even comprise resistant starch. The whole quantity of resistant starch within the remaining dish relies on numerous components, together with the quantity of resistant starch discovered within the uncooked meals and the way in which it was ready.
For instance, roasted and cooled potatoes comprise 19 grams of resistant starch per 100 grams, whereas steamed and cooled potatoes comprise 6 grams and boiled, cooled potatoes comprise a mere 0.8 grams.27,28
While you can even use candy potatoes, common potatoes have extra resistant starch to start with, and create extra retrograde starch — the resistant starch created when the potatoes are cooled after cooking. Potatoes which have been cooked and chilled, after which reheated once more comprise 1.07 grams of resistant starch per 100 grams; scorching potatoes (that haven’t been chilled) comprise slightly below 0.6 grams, whereas candy potatoes comprise a mere 0.08 grams of resistant starch.29
One root vegetable which will provide the very best of each worlds is the lesser yam. It has each a superior dietary worth total,30 and produces extra retrograde starch when cooked and cooled than candy potato and common potato.31 Food.com presents a easy yam salad recipe.32 To scale back web carbs, I’d omit the candy relish. I additionally suggest swapping the vegetable oil for avocado oil.
To know tips on how to correctly bake potato and reap a few of its advantages, learn my article entitled “How to Bake Potatoes.”
How to Minimize Your Acrylamide Exposure
Acrylamide has to this point solely been present in meals heated above 250 levels F/120 levels C, which incorporates most processed meals. Basing your weight-reduction plan on entire meals is among the greatest methods to keep away from this cancer-causing byproduct. For the instances while you do cook dinner your meals, maintain the next suggestions in thoughts:
- Frying, baking and broiling look like the worst offenders, whereas boiling or steaming look like safer
- Longer cooking instances enhance acrylamide, so the shorter the period of cooking, the higher
- The darker brown or blackened the meals, the extra acrylamide it incorporates, so keep away from overcooking your meals
- Acrylamide is discovered primarily in plant-based carb-rich meals equivalent to potatoes and grain merchandise (not usually in meat, dairy or seafood)
For extra in-depth details about acrylamide, I like to recommend studying the net report: “Heat-generated Food Toxicants: Identification, Characterisation and Risk Minimisation.”33