Acrylamide dangers - Nature Cures®

Acrylamide is a potentially toxic and cancer-causing substance that can be naturally present in uncooked, raw foods in very small amounts. But for this substance to pose a risk of toxicity or cancer, it must be present in foods in much larger amounts and these larger amounts do not occur unless those foods have been heat treated during processing or cooked.

Non-dietary sources of acrylamide

There are many non-dietary sources of exposure to this substance such as cigarette smoke (about 1-2 micrograms per cigarette) and cosmetics. There is also airborne release of acrylamide during many different manufacturing processes, including paper, asphalt, petroleum, photographic film, construction adhesives, varnishes and dyes.

Acrylamide is currently classified as a Group B2, probable human carcinogen. Acrylamide has also been shown to be a neurotoxin that can damage nervous system function. It’s likely to accomplish this damage by disrupting the signal that gets sent by nitric oxide at the onset of the nerve firing process.

The neurotoxin and probable cancer-causing aspects of acrylamide make it clear that humans should not be exposed to excess amounts of it from any source.

Acrylamide in food

In food, acrylamide can be formed when amino acids interact with sugars in the presence of heat. Many kinds of sugars and many different amino acids can interact in this way. However, one particular amino acid-called asparagine has a far greater tendency to interact with sugars and to form acrylamide than other amino acids.

Level of acrylamide formation after combination with sugar and application of heat:

Alanine 50 ppb
Asparagine 9270 ppb
Aspartic Acid 50 ppb
Cysteine 50 ppb
Glutamine 156 ppb
Lysine 50 ppb
Methionine 50 ppb
Threonine 50 ppb

It is possible to form acrylamide without the presence of sugars. When fats in food are oxidised, unique 3-carbon molecules (including acrylic acid and acrolein) can be formed. In the presence of heat, these 3 carbon molecules can interact with asparagine to form acrylamide.

It is common for fried foods to form acrylamide in this way, even when there is little sugar found in the foods, no sugar added during frying and little breakdown of starch into sugar.

Higher levels of acrylamide are found in asparagus based at 428°F/220°C for five minutes. These levels fell into the 200-250 ppb range.

ppb = parts per billion
ppm = parts per million

The ppm levels are 1,000 times greater than ppb levels and the following are processed foods containing these dangerous levels of acrylamide:

Biscuits 0.95 ppm
Broccoli (tinned) 235 ppb
Chips (French fries) 1.325 ppm
Cocoa 0.909 ppm
Coffee 300 ppb
Grain based coffee substitutes 5.399 ppm
Onion soup mix (dehydrated) 1.184 ppm
Potato crisps 9270 ppb
Wheat cereals (toasted) 1.057 ppm

Foods must definitely contain at least minimal amounts of the amino acid asparagine in order for substantial amounts of acrylamide to be formed. However, the amount of acrylamide formed cannot be predicted based solely on the amount of asparagine found in a food as other factors are involved in the process.

When all factors for forming acrylamide are present, it takes approximately 250°F/121°C for the formation of acrylamide in most foods. Acrylamide formation may peak in temperature ranges commonly used for roasting (250-375°F/121-191°C).

Formation of acrylamide occurs in green tea and coffee beans when roasted at these temperatures. The toasting of wheat bread (also commonly done within this temperature range) has also been shown to increase acrylamide formation.

A temperature range of 325-375°F/163-191°C is also frequently used for the deep frying in oil of French-fried potato chips and potato crisps. Once again, it is important to realise that the heating of foods at temperatures between 250F-375°F/121-191°C does not automatically mean that acrylamide is being formed in the food. It takes a combination of the amino acid asparagine together with a form of sugar or the oxidation of fat into smaller carbon molecules, or both, to result in substantial formation of acrylamide.

Acrylamide levels are high in certain canned black olives depending on the specific handling, storage, processing (especially preservation and darkening methods) and heating steps that allow the formation of acrylamide. Olive oil, however, appears to not undergo this process so shows no sign of dangerous levels of acrylamide.

The amount of asparagine in asparagus can increase from 41 to 820 micromoles/gram (dry weight) over the course of post-harvest storage. Only five days of storage were required for those much higher levels of asparagine to be formed in the asparagus. Even though higher levels of acrylamide do not automatically form when asparagine is present in a food and, even though asparagus is not a red flag food when it comes to acrylamide, this relationship suggests that one of the building blocks for acrylamide from asparagine may be more limited when food is cooked in its freshest form.

The highest risk foods for acrylamide exposure fall into three basic categories:

Fried, processed foods like potato crisps, chips and French fries.
Baked snack foods containing wheat and sugar, including biscuits, cookies and crackers.
Processed foods involving toasted grains, including toasted wheat cereals and roasted grain-based coffee substitutes, roasted coffee and cocoa beans (and the chocolate made from them), some dehydrated soup mixes and some canned black pitted olives.

Acrylamide and the human body

Once ingested, acrylamide can be detoxified in the body if it is processed through the cytochrome P450 enzyme system and converted into glycidamide (C₃H₅NO₂). It can also be hooked together with the sulphur-containing antioxidant molecule called glutathione. Even though the metabolic pathways can help to detoxify acrylamide, humans can still overload the detoxifying capability of these pathways and put themselves at health risk from excess exposure to this substance.

How to lower the levels of acrylamide in the body

In order to lower the risk of problems from acrylamide, there must be plenty of glutathione on hand in the metabolic reserves. One way to help support glutathione supplies is to consume plenty of sulphur containing foods.

Highest sources of sulphur in milligrams per 100 grams:

Scallops 520 mg
Lobster 510 mg
Crab 470 mg
Prawns 370 mg
Mussels 350 mg
Haddock 290 mg
Brazil nuts 290 mg
Peanuts 260 mg
Cod 250 mg
Oysters 250 mg
Chicken livers 250 mg
Cheese (parmesan) 250 mg
Caviar (fish roe) 240 mg
Peaches (dried) 240 mg
Cheese (cheddar or stilton) 230 mg
Salmon 220 mg
Beef 220 mg
Eggs 200 mg
Apricots (dried) 160 mg
Almonds 150 mg
Rabbit 130 mg
Walnuts 100 mg
Peppercorns 100 mg
Cabbage 90 mg
Spinach 90 mg
Brussel sprouts 80 mg
Chickpeas 80 mg
Figs (dried) 80 mg
Coconut 80 mg
Hazel nuts 80 mg
Mung beans 60 mg
Dates 50 mg
Split peas 50 mg
Onions 50 mg
Leeks 50 mg
Radishes 40 mg

NOTE: Those suffering with bowel disorders such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis should avoid sulphur-rich foods and, rarely, some susceptible individuals may have an intolerance to thiols found in certain sulphur-rich foods. See>> Thiol intolerance

Foods containing the components of glutathione

It is also important to consume foods rich in the amino acids cysteine, glutamic acid and glycine which are the key components of glutathione.

Natural sources of the precursors that can assist the body to make glutathione (in alphabetical order)

Algae and seaweed
Avocado
Balloon flower root
Barley grass
Brazil nuts
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Dill
Garlic
Krill oil
Milk thistle
Oily fish
Organ meats
Peas
Ricotta cheese
Sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds
Spinach
Tomatoes
Turmeric
Walnuts
Watermelon
Whey

NOTE: The above plant foods must be unpasteurised, organic and eaten raw, juiced or blended when possible.

Nutrients that can recycle or are required to manufacture glutathione

A family of antioxidants including vitamins C and E (in the form of mixed tocopherols) work together to recycle glutathione. The following nutrients are also required for glutathione to be manufactured and used efficiently: