The Dangers of Acrylamide!
Or why 'well done' could leave you more than just 'browned-off'!
Acrylamide - is a chemical created when we 'cremate' our food as often happens on a barbecue; it is increasingly recognized that regular consumption of over-cooked/charred foods (some people love that crispy, caramelized, slightly bitter taste!) is a looming risk to our long-term health. Another good reason for eating a healthful or even 'raw' food diet?
Here's a brief article published originally on my 'Toxic Time Bomb' blog and unashamedly re-purposed for inclusion on Gonando.com and 'reprinted' here:...
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No more really crispy roast potatoes;-( no more darkly, crusty traditional loaves; no more home-made deep brown chips; no more over-cooked barbecue 'delicacies' dark and crcnchy bacon rinds, pork crakling or sticky, blackened ribs!! ...Because ...you may already be braced for it... it is yet another thing that could contribute to the risk of developing cancer!
Indeed give us only the insipid, the pallid, and at most the 'pale golden' roast or fried foods. If you have been a devotee of the dark and crunchy roast potato, if you have fought over a well cooked crust...now is the time to leave it to the unwary, the unwise and the unwitting.
Under intense heat that may be experienced, particularly in a high temperature oven or fryer - some elements of proteins react with natural sugars and fuse to a dark caramel brown in a process many may recall from chemistry class is termed the 'Maillard reaction'. The darker the brown (or more 'well-done the protein and sugar combination becomes) the more 'acrylamide', is formed.
Acrylamide is still under investigation - but food manufacturers have taken research findings made by Swedish scientists seriously enough to have been seeking ways of reducing acrylamide in many products since reports first surfaced in 2002.
Some suggest that this particular 'chemical nasty' may be one of the biggest health threats yet - and that it is its common occurrence in home-cooked (or should we say home 'over-cooked') foods that is the source of about 50% of the acrylamide we consume.
So next time you get the choice, opt for the lightly cooked - or at worst the 'pleasantly gilded' roasts and french fries - and remember that sticking to this 'golden rule' could be contributing to keeping you healthy!
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And if you want to find a way to boost your immune system naturally be sure to see our 'Dozen Tips' for an internal spring clean by modifying your dietary choices.
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