Saying "no" to a side of French fries can not only help with weight loss, but lower cancer risk as well.
Cutting down on fried foods can also reduce the amount of cancer-causing acrylamide one consumes, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration news release reported.
Acrylamide is a chemical that has been known to form in plant-based (and some other) foods during high-heat cooking processes. They have been proven to cause cancer in animals, and are therefore likely to increase cancer risk in humans as well.
"Potatoes, cereals, coffee, crackers or breads, [and] dried fruit," are common culprits, according to the news release. A shocking 40 percent of the average American diet is believed to contain these harmful chemicals.
While the chemical has probably been around for as long as fire, researchers only discovered it in 2002, since then they have been working to understand Acrylamide and how to eliminate its negative effects or reduce the chemical altogether.
Acrylamide forms from sugars and an amino acid, it is believed to form at only miniscule levels (or not at all) in "dairy, meat and fish products."
"Generally speaking, acrylamide is more likely to accumulate when cooking is done for longer periods or at higher temperatures," FDA chemist Lauren Robin, said. Boiling and steaming foods do not typically form acrylamide.
Steps that can be taken to reduce the amount of Acrylamide in one's diet include: not overcooking food, especially items like frozen French fries; toasting bread to only a light brown color as opposed to dark brown or black; cooking French fries to only a golden yellow color (brown spots have been found to contain a higher concentration of acrylamide); and not storing potatoes in the refrigerator, as this tends to cause more acrylamide when the food is cooked. Instead it is recommended to store them in cool, dry cupboards.
