Experts point to a chemical in breakfast favorite that could cause heart attack and stroke
Scientists have warned that a chemical released during the cooking process of several family favorite dishes could increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 60 percent.
This substance is called acrylamide and is formed when starchy foods such as bread, potatoes and coffee are heated, such as during baking, frying and roasting.
It is rich in burnt carbohydrates, like toast, caused by the reaction between natural sugars and heat that causes browning.
Acrylamide can also be found in foods made during industrial cooking, such as ultra-processed foods, as well as in cigarettes and some cosmetics.
Concerns that acrylamide in food can cause reactions in the body that can cause cancer have been circulating for years.
But now a team of Spanish experts has discovered another possible risk of acrylamide consumption: cardiovascular disease.
The researchers, who published their findings in the journal Nutrientslooked at dozens of studies from 2007, involving more than 100,000 people.
They found that higher acrylamide intake was associated with both a higher risk of serious cardiovascular medical emergencies such as heart attack and stroke, and death from these conditions.
Acrylamide is formed when cooking starchy foods such as bread, potatoes and coffee during baking, frying and roasting, as the natural sugars in the food react to heat. Toast is an example of this
The researchers, from multiple universities and health agencies, pointed to studies showing that extreme levels of acrylamide were linked to an 84 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease in vulnerable people, such as those at risk for type 2 diabetes.
It was said that high dietary exposure to acrylamide would increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by one-third to two-thirds.
They also pointed to a Chinese study that found that people with higher exposure to acrylamide were between 47 and 67 percent more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease in the next decade.
Across all studies, the average dietary acrylamide level ranged from 32.6 to 57 micrograms per day, with poorer cardiovascular outcomes observed at the more ‘extreme’ end of the scale.
The acrylamide content in an average slice of toast is estimated at around 4.8 micrograms per slice, and this doubles when burned, said Professor Oliver Jones, an expert in chemistry at RMIT University in Melbourne. The Telegraph.
The Spanish scientists stated that while it is unclear exactly how acrylamide harms cardiovascular health, laboratory tests suggested possible mechanisms.
One theory is that the substance causes fat deposits in body tissues and increases inflammation, which could contribute to precursors to cardiovascular problems such as obesity.
A team of Spanish experts say data suggests that consuming acrylamide increases the risk of cardiovascular disease
They added that further research into the potential implications of acrylamide for heart health is crucial given the high exposure in everyday life.
“It is a ubiquitous contaminant in food processing to which the entire population is unintentionally exposed throughout life,” they wrote.
‘Exposure to acrylamide occurs not only in ultra-processed foods, but also in home-cooked and restaurant foods, even when using new cooking methods such as air frying.
‘Given the above, finding ways to reduce the production and consumption of acrylamide is one of the most important areas of research in the food industry.’
They said this was critical given the general lack of awareness about acrylamide among the general population.
“The population is largely unaware of the production of acrylamide in home-cooked foods and its presence in their daily diets,” they wrote.
‘Additionally, browned foods are wrongly perceived as more attractive and tastier.’
They added: ‘The increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods in recent decades, especially among adolescents, remains a public health concern.’
While some warning signs of a cardiovascular problem are easy to spot – such as severe chest pain – others are vaguer and harder to pinpoint.
They had limitations, including the fact that the majority of studies analyzed were based in the US, which could limit their relevance to other groups.
Cardiovascular disease is responsible for around a quarter of all deaths in Britain, equivalent to 170,000 deaths per year or 480 per day.
Acrylamide intake has been linked to an increased risk of cancer.
Although this danger has mainly been observed in animal studies involving large amounts of acrylamide, experts agree that the potential risk also extends to humans and that we should aim to reduce the amount we consume as a result.
However, some scientists dispute the quality of the evidence.
According to Sir David Spiegelhalter, professor of statistics at the University of Cambridge, a person would have to consume 160 burnt slices of toast a day before it would have a worrying effect.
Regardless, health authorities such as the NHS have published advice on how people can reduce their exposure to acrylamide.
These include aiming for only a ‘golden yellow color’ when baking, roasting, frying or frying starchy foods rather than brown.
They also recommend following package instructions when cooking items like fries at home and avoiding overcooking them for extra browning.
Health authorities also emphasize the general dietary advice to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and to promote healthier cooking methods such as boiling or steaming, which reduce exposure to acrylamide.
Risk assessments of acrylamide published by UK regulators have failed to determine, based on current evidence, exactly how much a person’s risk of cancer increases from its consumption.
