Acrylamide in foods: the main sources, health effects, and how to reduce.

Acrylamide in foods will primarily be found in starchy foods that have been cooked at high temperatures.

Acrylamides are known to cause numerous health problems (some very serious) and will age you!!

I have to stress that you will want to eliminate as much of this toxin as possible if you want to feel and look your best.

You should start reducing acrylamides now because acrylamides are a nasty toxin that will store in your body at a rate of 70 to 90%.

Acrylamide in foods: how does this occur?

Acrylamides occur when simple sugars like glucose or fructose (for example) and a free amino acid called asparagine are present in a food. 

By the way, asparagine is present in a lot of your foods!

When these foods are subjected to high temperatures a "browning reaction" is created as well as acrylamides.

Acrylamides are more abundant in plant foods that contain starch that have been fried, baked, grilled, or roasted. 

However, you will find acrylamides in cooked animal foods too.

The highest amounts of acrylamide in foods will most likely be found in fried potatoes (chips, french fries), roasted potatoes, crisps, breakfast cereals, and other cereal products.

Potatoes that have been fried in vegetable oils will contain a very high amount!

Main sources of acrylamide: some of the biggest offenders!

Deep Fried Potato Chips

Deep Fried French Fries

Deep Fried Foods

Baked Potato Chips

Burnt Toast

Corn Chips and Pretzels

Crackers

Brewed Coffee - especially Dark

Postum Hot Beverage

Commercial Prune Juice

Grilled Meats and Foods

Barbecued Meats

Commercial Cocoa Beans (Chocolate bars, Hershey's Cocoa, etc.)

Pizza especially Unfermented Pizza Dough

Crispbreads

Breakfast Cereals (Cheerios, All Bran, etc.)

Commercial Cookies

Commercial Donuts and Pastries

Commercially Baked Pies and Cakes 

Baked Goods

Caramelized Foods (Creme Brulee, etc.)

Roasted Meats

Roasted Root Vegetables

Peanut Butter

Roasted Nuts and Nut Butters

Toasted Nuts

Canned Black Olives

Health affects: can acrylamide in foods affect your health?

That's a big YES!  Acrylamides are a potent neurotoxin and could increase your risk of getting Alzheimer's or other brain disorders.

Acrylamides really seem to affect the nervous system and may result in tremors, numbness, and clumsiness.

Acrylamides are known to damage the reproductive glands of men in particular and may also negatively affect a fetus growing in the womb.

Acrylamides have also been connected to increasing your odds of getting cancer!

Glutathione is one of the most protective antioxidants you have and will most likely get depleted when consuming too many acrylamide in foods.  

This means that you will not be able to detoxify your body as well anymore.

How to reduce acrylamide in foods: raw foods and some tips.

By adding more raw foods into your diet, you will automatically cut down on the consumption of acrylamide in foods! 

Did you know there are really no detectable levels of acrylamides in raw foods?  This is one of the reasons why raw food diets can be very beneficial to one's health.

Important cooking tips.................

Stewing, boiling, or steaming your food will produce very little amounts of this food toxin.

Frequently turn your meats and other foods when grilling them to avoid charring your food.

Don't bake at high temperatures with sweeteners or fruits that are high in fructose.

Consume sourdough breads that have been fermented for at least 24 hours.  Also, breads with a prolonged yeast fermentation reduces the formation of this toxin.

Lightly toast your bread rather than letting it go to a dark brown color and remove the crust from bread to eliminate even more of this toxin.

In general, cook your foods to a golden light brown and not to a dark brown color.

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According to this article, "A Little Rosemary Can Go a Long Way in Reducing Acrylamide in Food".

Antioxidants from herbs like rosemary and green tea have proven to reduce levels of this toxin.

Make better choices to cut down on acrylamides!

Recently, I read a study that showed deficient soils may also contribute to higher acrylamide formation in foods.

Therefore, please do your best to buy organic foods that were grown in nutrient dense soils.  Also, you'll want to cut down on processed foods as much as possible! 

Processed foods will likely contain a high amount.  They are often low quality foods cooked at very high temperatures.

For breakfast, make your family an oatmeal porridge instead of serving them boxed cereals which are too high in acrylamides.

For you coffee drinkers: drink coffee that was made from beans that were roasted at lower temperatures.   Remember, the darker the roast the more acrylamides!

Getting rid of habits such as tobacco smoking which also provides an ample amount of acrylamides will be necessary to reduce this toxin.

Did you know they regulate the amount of acrylamide found in our drinking water?

According to the department of health in Minnesota....

"Because polyacrylamide is used to treat drinking water, a small amount of acrylamide impurity has also been detected in drinking water from one public water supplier.  The level of acrylamide in drinking water is tightly controlled by water utilities and is not a health concern."

"The majority of acrylamide exposure occurs through the diet, with a much smaller proportion of acrylamide coming from drinking water.  MDH reviewed data 1 that suggests most Americans consume an amount of acrylamide in their diet to cause public health concern."

I think it goes without saying that the importance of minimizing your exposure to acrylamides and especially acrylamide in foods may be necessary in order to stay truly healthy.