Recently, the Food Standards Agency in the UK released some articles declaring that eating burnt toast can increase your chances of developing cancer. The theory behind it is that when foods containing starch are cooked at a high temperature it causes a chemical reaction that can cause cancer. The chemical reaction is caused by the release of a compound known as “Acrylamide”, which is found in starchy foods.
What is Acrylamide?
Acrylamide is a chemical used in the manufacturing process of paper and plastics. It is also present in certain food package items. Acrylamide is formed when food items containing the amino acid ‘Asparagine” are heated up to a high temperature. This is particularly true for starchy food items like bread, potatoes, and French fries.
What actually happens?
Once the reaction happens, and you eat the burnt toast, thereby consuming the chemical, it can enter your DNA and alter your live cells. This leads to the formation of carcinogenic compounds, and sometimes acts as a neurotoxin inside the body.
How do you avoid this?
The easiest and simplest way to avoid tis, is to just not eat burnt toast. Fortunately, that’s not a problem for most people. But even it if it’s a problem, 1 or 300 slices of burnt toast isn’t going to give you cancer. So, just try not to eat burnt toast and burnt potatoes your entire life. Try to learn to cook food without burning it. There are plenty of good recipes out there that can guide you through the process.
Verdict
None of this information has been proven according to proper scientific methodology. This is still in the realm of speculative research. It’s interesting, but there is no need to panic. That being said, there’s no need to take chances either.
