Chilli Con Carne, with Acrylamide?

February 29, 2020
Posted by: admin
Category: Blogs

Another of our favorite foods has been found to contain acrylamide formed during the cooking process (you can find more information on the cooking process here https://www.hazoxinc.com/cookies-hazardous-to-your-health-in-ways-you-wouldnt-think-about/). You can also find out about the health effects of acrylamide in our diet https://www.hazoxinc.com/acrylamide-in-our-bagels/. This article looks at how our body breaks down and disposes of acrylamides (https://www.hazoxinc.com/should-peanut-butter-come-with-a-cancer-warning/) and how we can detox our body (https://www.hazoxinc.com/tostados-filled-with-delicious-ingredients-and-chemicals/)

Despite the wide presence of acrylamides in the products of the daily diet, it is possible to avoid their effects in the following ways:

1. Increase the consumption of nutrients that defend us against acrylamide, for example antioxidants in general (such as turmeric), as well as foods rich in cysteine onion, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, red pepper, poultry, yogurt and eggs, among others) [https://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/what-is-acrylamide-12-facts-to-know/]. Garlic oil, rich in diallyl disulfide, has proven useful in reducing the risk of acrylamide´s toxicity as it slows down the breakdown of the acrylamide allowing it to be neutralized and passed in urine [https://medium.com/@Odeshe/acrylamide-the-garlic-detox-and-sociable-breath-f9f13eca62aa].

2. Avoid the maximum consumption of foods belonging to the categories fried and processed (as is the case of fries or pretzels), carbohydrate-baked goods (such as bread, pizza, cookies, etc.), and processed foods made up of toasted and roasted grains (such as coffee, cereals, among others) [http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=260]. If you are one of those who cannot live without drinking coffee, there are better healthier alternatives such as matcha tea, dandelion coffee or mate tea [https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/easy-ways-avoid-acrylamide-home-cooking/].

3. Limit the temperature and cooking time; try to keep it below 248 F / 120 C where possible, and for the shortest amount of time necessary to cook the food. In the case of fried food, this means cooking to a barely golden color, just as if it were baked goods. This will prevent the food from becoming too brown and will therefore reduce the acrylamide formed.

4. Use cooking alternatives that reduce the need to cook at high temperatures or for a long time. For example, if you want to eat French fries, make these at home (after soaking them in water for 30 minutes to reduce the amount of starch and then drying them well to avoid splashing when putting them in the hot oil).

5. Choose fresh foods, instead of processed ones or those rich in carbohydrates.

6. With regards to coffee, evidence that has been accumulated over time and includes different types of population and varieties of coffee bean, shows that the benefits of consuming it outweighs the possible risks. Moreover, in relation to the presence of acrylamide, it has been shown that it is present in many foods and in all varieties of coffee (including decaffeinated), except in unprocessed presentations (also known as green coffee).

Without a doubt, continuing to drink coffee still has its benefits and the recommendations suggest keeping coffee consumption at no more than 5 cups a day. The Arabica bean has been found to form less acrylamide so recommendations are to use this bean, using a coffee filter and avoiding the use of additives such as sugar or milk [https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/chemistry-in-every-cup/3004537.article?adredir=1#/].

At Hazox we believe that consumers should be aware of the hazardous chemicals used in everyday products to make informed decisions before buying and consuming the items they need.

In our final article of this series tomorrow, we will investigate healthy alternatives to foods containing acrylamide.