1 week Ago By Alex Evans
It’s one of life’s simple pleasures - a couple of slices of toast slathered in butter, or jam, marmalade or even Marmite, if you’re brave. But for Brits who like their toast cremated rather than golden-brown, you might be opening yourself up to risk, experts have warned. According to various scientific studies over the past two decades, burnt toast - and other burnt foods like over-done chips - could be linked to an increased risk of cancer and, possibly, to nervous system damage and increased risk of degenerative diseases , due to the presence of possible carcinogens and neurotoxins.
The European Food Standards Agency says: “Acrylamide is a chemical that naturally forms in starchy food products during everyday high-temperature cooking. The chemical reaction that causes this is known as the Maillard Reaction. This is the same chemical reaction that ‘browns’ food and affects its taste.
Acrylamide also has widespread industrial non-food uses and is present in tobacco smoke.” The issue is that this acrylamide, which is present in burnt toast as well as other overdone foods, could be linked to cancer and nervous system damage. The EFSA added: “Currently, studies on human subjects have provided limited and inconsistent evidence of increased risk of developing cancer.
However, studies on laboratory animals have shown that exposure to acrylamide through the diet increased the likelihood of developing gene mutations and tumours in various organs. “Based on these animal studies, EFSA’s experts agree with previous evaluations that acrylamide in food potentially increases the risk of developing cancer for consumers in all age groups. While this applies to all consumers, on a body weight basis, children are the most exposed age group.
” As well as finding higher levels of acrylamide in crispy chips and fried products, the EFSA said that toasting bread for longer can raise the risk. They warned: “Toasting bread for five minutes instead of three minutes can increase the acrylamide content from 31μg/kg up to 118μg/kg, depending on the bread type and temperature of the toaster. “Since acrylamide levels are directly related to the browning of these foods, some countries recommend to consumers: 'Don’t burn it, lightly brown it'.
Varying cooking practices and finding a better balance, e.g. boiling, steaming, sautéing as well as frying or roasting, could also help reduce overall consumer exposure.
” Cancer Research UK says that improving your general diet is more important than avoiding acrylamide specifically, because the doses given to animals in scientific studies are much higher than humans would ever consume, so burnt toast is ‘unlikely’ to increase your risk of cancer. However, there is another major risk factor with burnt food - the risk of damage to the nervous system due to the presence of neurotoxins. Scientific journal Frontiers in Nutrition says that acrylamide is neurotoxic to humans.
As reported by the BBC : “Scientists are sure, however, that acrylamide is neurotoxic to humans, which means it can affect the nervous system. The exact causes for this are still not fully understood, but among the theories are that acrylamide attacks structural proteins within nerve cells or may inhibit anti-inflammatory systems that protect nerve cells from damage. “The toxic effects of acrylamide have been shown to be cumulative, which means that consuming a small amount of acrylamide over a long period of time could increase the risk of it affecting organs in the longer term.
“More specifically, evidence from animal studies suggests that long-term exposure to dietary acrylamide could also increase the risk of neurodegenerative disease, such as dementia, and may be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in children.”.
