On my father knew for several years but a Danish study has strengthened suspicions: acrylamide, a molecule that is formed at the end of cooking, present in all foods grilled, fried, roasted coffee, is probably a factor favouring breast cancer.
This small molecule is suspected for years to cause tumors. Long used for the manufacture of plastics and cosmetics, has proven carcinogen acrylamide on animals. Today, this molecule is mainly manufactured ... at home during the cooking of certain foods, containing both protein and sugar. One amino acid protein (asparagine) reacts with some sugar (glucose and fructose) to give acrylamide, a chain of three carbon atoms with nitrogen and oxygen (C3H5NO). This reaction famous, so-called Maillard, works with other compounds but the result is always interesting from a culinary point of view because it generates different aromas and changes the texture.
It is this reaction to the taste and color of burnt out.
In 2002, Swedish researchers have discovered that many foods included high levels of acrylamide: chips, french fries, toast, coffee roasted ... The European Union then launched the project Heatox (Heat-generated Food Toxicants) to understand the health impact of cooking products. The effect of acrylamide was first evaluated by tests on animals, which have clearly demonstrated its link with the development of tumors, and then in humans, with surveys on eating habits.
Three atoms of carbon (black), a group NH2 (nitrogen is blue) and oxygen (red):
Early acrylamide, after a harmless amino acid and a simple sugar, without a doubt daunting effects on our body.
Correlation positive
The suspicions are confirmed, a Danish team conducted a study more precise, this time analyzing the amount of acrylamide present in the blood (and bound to hemoglobin) among 374 women and 374 healthy postmenopausal women who developed a tumour in the breast. After corrected data possible influences of other factors, such as tobacco, researchers have shown a positive correlation between quantity of acrylamide in blood and probability of occurrence of breast cancer.
As the authors of the study in presenting their results (published in the International Journal of Cancer), the formal proof of guilt solely on acrylamide is not given. It might exist other factors, such as other compounds cooking. But according to them, it is already accepted that it is better to minimise the amount of acrylamide in foods.
Thorough cooking is an abbreviated early solution because acrylamide, indeed, does form in the final minutes when arose dark tint and the characteristic smell. Avoid grilling the bread to abandon black or brown french fries too seems a good principle of precaution ...
Other studies remain to be carried out. Car acrylamide has no reason to be alone in question and the reactions of cooking generate many products that are not yet known effects. Will we soon be invited to boil, cook the steam or eat raw?
