Images: Canva
Images: Canva
According to Megan Rossi, a Gut health nutritionist expert when starchy foods like potatoes, cereals and bread are cooked at high temperatures by grilling, frying or baking, a chemical reaction occurs between the proteins and sugars.
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The result is acrylamide production, along with that darker colour (like the rich brown of a piece of well-grilled toast).
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More acrylamide builds up in a food when it’s cooked for a higher temperature for a longer period of time, meaning that burnt toast (with blackened bits) typically contains more acrylamide than a lightly golden piece.
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The World Health Organisation has highlighted a possible association between acrylamide and cancer risk.
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There are animal studies indicating that large amounts of acrylamide could increase the growth of breast and thyroid tumours, among other types of cancer.
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However, studies on the effect in humans, have produced mixed results - with some suggesting an increase cancer risk and others suggesting none.