Is Burnt Food Really Bad for You?

Most people are aware that burnt food is bad for our bodies. When consuming burnt food, the most common concern is that it causes cancer, but there is no definitive research result, and it is a topic that requires further investigation in the future.

Burnt Food and Acrylamide: Scientific Exploration

Scientists have discovered that certain heated foods, particularly those that are burnt, produce a chemical called acrylamide. A 2002 study at Stockholm University confirmed the formation of acrylamide when foods like potatoes, bread, and biscuits are heated above 120°C.

Acrylamide is considered hazardous to humans in various ways, and research has been conducted to determine its impact on human health.

Acrylamide and Health

Research is ongoing regarding the effects of acrylamide on nerve cells in the human body and the risk of neurological disorders. Scientists believe that acrylamide has neurotoxic properties, but the exact mechanism of how it works has not yet been fully elucidated.

However, animal studies have shown that acrylamide can cause cancer and it has been theorized that it might attack structural proteins within nerve cells or damage nerve cells.

There is also evidence suggesting that acrylamide may be linked to neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. However, it was later revealed that the experiment was not fair. The amount of acrylamide used in the animal experiment was equivalent to a human consuming about 2 tons of it at once. Therefore, the conclusion regarding how acrylamide actually affects humans is still unclear.

Acrylamide and Children and Pregnant Women

The relationship between acrylamide and its effects on children and pregnant women is another crucial research issue. According to Assistant Professor Federica Laguzzi of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, dietary acrylamide may be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders in children, and in pregnant women, she found a link between acrylamide and increased risks of low birth weight, head circumference, and length in newborns.

However, even after being classified as a 'possibly carcinogenic' substance for 30 years, there is no conclusive evidence that acrylamide definitively causes cancer in humans.

There was a study in the Netherlands that found an increased risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer in women who were exposed to higher levels of acrylamide, and a correlation with an increased risk of kidney cancer, but it's unclear whether this is accurate, and it hasn't been confirmed by other researchers outside the Netherlands yet.

Carcinogenic Benzopyrene

Benzopyrene is originally a substance containing carbon, a substance produced when any organic matter is burned. It is commonly found in diesel exhaust and cigarette smoke, and it is a confirmed Group 1 carcinogen by IARC.

The discussion about benzopyrene arose after it was announced that benzopyrene was detected in toast, a popular food for Westerners. However, no cases of cancer caused by toast have been confirmed to date.

Even if benzopyrene enters the digestive system, it is broken down by enzymes in the small intestine. Besides, the outer wall of the digestive system is constantly shedding and regenerating. Thus, the probability of cancer developing from eating toast is extremely low.

Actions Taken by the Food Industry

In 2010, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives suggested that further long-term studies are needed to draw conclusions about the association between acrylamide and cancer, but also recommended that acrylamide levels in food should be reduced.

The food industry is taking steps and various measures to reduce acrylamide levels, particularly focusing research and resources on reducing the formation of acrylamide in wheat-based products. Wheat kernels accumulate a substance called asparagine, which is linked to acrylamide production.

Therefore, researchers have worked to improve this process using genetic modification techniques, and some products have successfully significantly reduced their acrylamide content.

Managing Acrylamide in Home Cooking

When home cooking, it is important to be mindful of ways to reduce acrylamide intake in daily life. For instance, when making French fries, soaking the cut potatoes in hot water for 10 minutes can reduce acrylamide formation by up to 90%.

Conclusion and Outlook

While there is still a long way to go to prove the exact relationship between acrylamide and cancer risk, and it remains a topic that needs continued research, it is important to maintain healthy eating habits and minimize acrylamide intake as much as possible based on the information available to us currently.