Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Today's Lesson: Acrylamide

Acrylamide is a chemical compound that occurs in cooked, starchy foods. Cooking techniques that expose foods to high temperatures, such as frying, roasting and grilling, form acrylamide naturally. Because this chemical is a byproduct of standard cooking practices, it is essentially impossible to cut from a diet altogether.

And studies now show that acrylamide is a probable carcinogen, particularly for women. Specifically, a direct link has been established between acrylamide consumption and ovarian and womb cancer. With this lovely scientific revelation, what's a girl to do?

The European Union has released number of dietary suggestions to reduce the intake of acrylamide. For example,

The EU has now advised people to avoid burnt toast or golden brown chips because they contain higher levels of the substance acrylamide.

The EU called on people not to overcook their food.

They have also recommended eating home-cooked meals which contain much lower amounts of the chemical than processed products, fast food and restaurant meals.

1 comment:

  1. We may turn you into a science major yet, Jenny! Very nice information, although I have to admit that it's articles like this that begin to make me fear every little thing around me, which obviously isn't healthy either...

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