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If warnings about fat, sodium,
and empty calories didn’t stop you from eating your favorite
fried and starchy snack foods, how about warnings about
acrylamide? In 2002, researchers found high levels of acrylamide,
a potentially cancer-causing agent, in a number of common foods.
But, what is acrylamide? And should you avoid foods containing
it?
A natural
by-product of cooking certain foods, Acrylamide is an odorless, colorless chemical
agent used to manufacture certain chemicals, plastics and dyes,
which may have the potential for causing cancer in humans. A
Swedish study published in the August 14, 2002 issue of the
Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found that frying or
baking at high temperatures (greater than 250 F) for prolonged
periods of time could create acrylamide in many types of food,
particularly starchy foods such as:
Researchers in Norway, the United
Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada and the United States conducted
food analyses and came up with similar findings to the Swedish
study. According to a survey by the Center for Science in the
Public Interest, a large order of fast food French fries had at
least 300 times more acrylamide than what the US Environmental
Protection Agency allows in a glass of water. The amount of
acrylamide varied according to the type of food and, in some
cases, the brand of a particular food. French fries had one of
the highest amounts of acrylamide.
Dietary
Acrylamide and Cancer: Scientists have concluded that
acrylamide causes cancer in laboratory rats when ingested in
large amounts. And large quantities of acrylamide have been
found to cause nerve damage in humans. But so far, there is no
evidence that the tiny amounts of acrylamide in cooked foods can
cause cancer or other harmful effects when ingested by people.
According to the American Council
on Science and Health, human cancer risk from dietary acrylamide
cannot be adequately assessed when based exclusively on
high-dose studies in laboratory animals. They believe that the
acrylamide food studies probably caused unnecessary anxiety in
consumers.
Study
Finds Absence of Evidence: A study published in the
January 28, 2003 issue of the British Journal of Cancer, found
no evidence that eating foods high in acrylamide increases the
risk of cancer of the large bowel, bladder, and kidney. In the
study, researchers from Harvard School of Public Health and the
Karolinska Institute in Sweden compared the diets of close to
1,000 cancer patients and more than 500 healthy adults over a
five-year period. The researchers found that people who ate the
most acrylamide were at no greater risk of cancer than those who
ate less. They also found that people who ate moderate to high
levels of acrylamide had no higher risk of any of the types of
cancer studied. The researchers note, however, that the relation
of risk to acrylamide content in all foods could not be
established.
But Is
This Evidence of Absence?: Although the latest
research provides some evidence that there is no link between
dietary intake of acrylamide and three major types of cancer,
more research is necessary. The US Food and Drug Administration
is now working to develop a better understanding of how
acrylamide is chemically formed, how to measure its presence in
food, and how it functions in the human body.
What’s
A Consumer to Do?: Many consumers feel
reassured by the Harvard study on dietary acrylamide and cancer.
Others remain somewhat wary and have cut back on their
consumption of fries, potato chips and other known acrylamide-containing
foods. What’s a consumer to do?
When it comes to acrylamide in
food, the American Institute for Cancer Research stresses that
consumers keep the following points in mind:
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French fries, potato chips,
crackers and other high-acrylamide foods are often high in
calories and low in nutritional value. High consumption of
these foods has been linked to increased cancer risk for
reasons that have nothing to do with acrylamide. People who
eat lots of these foods tend to crowd other foods off the
plate (foods such as vegetables, fruits, beans and whole
grains, which have been shown to provide protection against
certain types of cancer. Eating a lot of fat and calories
also contributes to obesity, which can increase the risk for
many cancers.
-
If you are concerned about
cancer risk:
-
Increase your consumption of
plant foods, especially a variety of vegetables and
fruits.
-
Limit your consumption of
fried, fatty and salty foods.
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Get regular physical
activity.
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Maintain a healthful
weight.
-
Limit consumption of
alcohol.
-
Do not smoke.
The World Health Organization
(WHO) and regulatory agencies of the United States, United
Kingdom, Sweden, Norway and Germany have not recommended any
changes in dietary habits on the basis of the current evidence
concerning acrylamide in food. The FDA and the scientific
community will continue to evaluate data and determine
appropriate recommendations, as necessary.
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