When you make toast, how do you like it? Do you enjoy a light, golden brown so that the inside is still soft and fluffy? Or do you like a nice, dark crust you can crunch on?
If you go for the latter, we might have some bad news for you.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the U.K., similar to the FDA in the U.S., has discovered that when starchy foods are cooked for too long at high temperatures, they release a chemical called acrylamide.
This chemical, when eaten too frequently, is said to increase the risk of cancer. And yes, sadly, it's all starchy foods: not only bread, but also potatoes, certain root vegetables, and corn. The method of cooking doesn't matter either, so acrylamide will come out whether you're grilling, frying, baking, or toasting.
If the food in question comes out with a very dark brown or black finish, that means the acrylamide has been drawn out, and you're putting more of it into your body than needed.
So what can you do if you're not ready to give up on toast, fries, and all that other good stuff? Read on to find out!
[H/T: BBC, On Breaking]
If you like your fries, toast, potatoes, and corn done so well that it has blackened parts, beware!
Scientists at the FSA have found that starchy foods cooked in temperatures around 250 °F have elevated levels of acrylamide, a chemical shown to increase the risk of cancer.
In fact, any blackened or charred area on any food is technically carcinogenic.
Eating a little of it here and there isn't going to do a ton of damage, so if your marshmallow gets burnt at the barbecue, it's fine.
But eating large amounts of this charred material can potentially up your risk for cancer.
Combined with the acrylamide, the risk gets even higher.
But don't worry, you won't have to give any of this stuff up — you just might have to adjust your cooking habits a little bit.
Instead of letting the starch blacken, opt instead for a golden-brown color. It means you'll likely be cooking it for less time and possibly at a lower heat.
In fact, when you cook slowly in low heat, you'll actually have more control over how it turns out, so you'll also end up burning things less.
So reducing your risk of cancer via food is actually easy.
Avoid burnt and charred foods as much as possible (this goes for meat, too), and be sure to get plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
Cutting down on processed and high-calorie foods like fries, chips, and cookies, all of which contain high levels of acrylamides, is also a good idea.
Be sure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and leafy vegetables, which are full of nutrients that will help your body stay healthy, even if you indulge in a well-done fry now and then.
This means you can still enjoy your favorite roasted vegetables and a slice of toast in the morning. Just keep an eye on it while it's cooking!
And yes, you can still have a grilled cheese!
Will you be more careful about cooking your starches after learning this?
SHARE with anyone who loves toast, fries, and other starchy treats!
