Dr. Mercola has a fantastic new article on Acrylamide. This toxic substance is one that you hear about from time to time in the health news world. Look out for browned veggies, burnt toast, etc. But rarely do you see it put together as well as this article.
The point of reading it is this.
“Everything causes cancer”
- this statement will take anyone who is set in their ways, and wants to enjoy life because they deserve it, and it will give them cancer. Colon, bladder, breast, lung, prostate… it isn’t specific to just the colon. It can effect all tissues because the compound will travel in the bloodstream. So when my wife read this article to me on the way home from Big Canoe today, I said “email it, we need to pass it along ASAP”. Because the flipside to “everything causes cancer”
- so you need to hurry up and pursue all the things that help you fight it. Immune system function from the brain down (meaning brain stem, atlas, C2 vertebra). Reduced carcinogenic intake, and molecules that support healthy immune system such as 13 servings of veggies a day, or juice plus if you cannot keep pace with that. It is all really serious.
Read on:
Approximately 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food is spent on processed foods, and food marketers do a masterful job at making it seem like fast foods and junk foods are the obvious choice.
Some even manage to make you believe such foods are a healthy option. But not only are these processed foods “dead” and devoid of any natural nutrition, they can also be loaded with potentially carcinogenic substances.
Just over a decade ago, researchers discovered that a cancer-causing and potentially neurotoxic chemical called acrylamide is created when carbohydrate-rich foods are cooked at high temperatures, whether baked, fried, roasted, grilled or toasted.
The chemical is formed from a reaction between sugars and an amino acid (asparagine) during high-temperature cooking. The answer, of course, is to limit or eliminate processed foods and increase the amount of whole, raw foods in your diet. I typically aim for 80-85 percent raw food in my own diet.
Acrylamide May Be a Primary Hazard of Processed Food
Acrylamide can form in many foods cooked or processed at temperatures above 212°F (100°C), but carbohydrate-rich foods are the most vulnerable to this heat-induced byproduct. As a general rule, the chemical is formed when food is heated enough to produce a fairly dry and “browned” surface. Hence, it can be found in:
- Potatoes: chips, French fries and other roasted or fried potato foods
- Grains: bread crust, toast, crisp bread, roasted breakfast cereals and various processed snacks
- Coffee; roasted coffee beans and ground coffee powder. Surprisingly, coffee substitutes based on chicory actually contains 2-3 times moreacrylamide than real coffee
Acrylamide is not the only hazard associated with heat-processed foods, however. The three-year long EU project known as Heat-Generated Food Toxicants1 (HEATOX), identified more than 800 heat-induced compounds in food, 52 of which are potential carcinogens… For example, the high heat of grilling reacts with proteins in red meat, poultry, and fish, creating heterocyclic amines, which have also been linked to cancer.
Humans are not the only victims here. As discussed by holistic veterinarian Dr. Barbara Royal, pet foods also contain acrylamide and heterocyclic amines, courtesy of commercial pet food processing methods.
Exposure to Acrylamide Increases Your Cancer Risk
Animal studies have shown that exposure to acrylamide increases the risk of several types of cancer, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer considers acrylamide a “probable human carcinogen.” According to a 1988 study2:
“The data show that acrylamide is capable of inducing genotoxic, carcinogenic, developmental, and reproductive effects in tested organisms. Thus, acrylamide may pose more than a neurotoxic health hazard to exposed humans.
Acrylamide is a small organic molecule with very high water solubility. These properties probably facilitate its rapid absorption and distribution throughout the body. After absorption, acrylamide is rapidly metabolized, primarily by glutathione conjugation, and the majority of applied material is excreted within 24 hours… Acrylamide can bind to DNA… which has implications for its genotoxic and carcinogenic potential.”
Read THE FULL ARTICLE
Dr Eric:
The reality is that you are exposed to more than you will ever know, simply by purchasing off of a shelf. I don’t want you to hide in fear, but be educated and let your choices and your dollars impact policies from the top down. Purchasing trends will do more to change the world than any legislation ever could. Buy wisely.
Be well and Be blessed! – Dr. E