Is Acrylamide the Newest Food Chemical to Avoid?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a statement late last year suggesting that acrylamide can cause health problems down the line. This chemical is commonly found in potatoes, cereal, coffee, crackers, breads, dried fruits and much more. Animals studies on the chemical found that it is linked to cancer. The FDA has strongly urged people to stop consuming this chemical.Considering the massive number of foods that this chemical is found in, this is pretty unnerving for some people. One thing to note about this chemical is that it is formed in the foods during the cooking process. It is especially common when food is fried, or overcooked. Acrylamide is created when sugar and asparagine combine when the food is heated at a certain temperature. This means that the simplest way to cut down on the chemical is to avoid frying and charring foods.Currently, about 40 percent of calories consumed throughout the day contain this chemical, so the FDA teamed with Cancer.gov to create a list of tips to reduce intake:

• Fry foods as little as possible, or avoid frying altogether
• Boiling and steaming foods generate less
• Cooking foods at 248 degrees F or less won’t create the chemical at all
• Avoid eating burnt toast
• Keeping potatoes in the fridge can increase amount of acrylamide
• Soak potatoes in water for 30 minutes before cooking
• Avoid potato chips and french fries

The World Health Organization commented on the issue as well explaining that in high doses, acrylamide could cause nerve damage in humans. Of course, in one sitting it is nearly impossible for a single human to consume the necessary amount of the chemical to get cancer or nerve damage. However, over a period of time, it can cause damage to the person’s DNA. The FDA is confident that with the findings on animal testing warrants a need for human’s to reduce consumption.Nowadays, it seems that nearly everything our bodies come in contact with is will cause us to develop cancer later on in life. Though many chemicals can be extremely dangerous, there are still plenty of foods that are healthy to eat. In fact, there are some that even prevent cancer from ever forming. So, if you stick to raw vegetables and fresh fruit, you should remain fairly healthy your whole life.If you are worried about your potential risk of developing cancer, talk with the Las Vegas radiology experts at Steinberg Diagnostic. If you have a hereditary predisposition, you should schedule routine diagnostic imaging scans. Though this may not be a form of prevention, it will ensure you catch the disease in its early stages. Early detection can increase your survival rate dramatically. Contact the radiologists Las Vegas trust at 702.732.6000.