Scientists have warned that a chemical released during the cooking process of some family favourites could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke by 60 per cent.
Called acrylamide, this substance is formed when starchy foods, such as bread, potatoes and coffee, are heated, such as during baking, frying and roasting.
It is abundant in burnt carbohydrates, like fried bread, which is caused by the reaction between natural sugars and heat that causes browning.
Acrylamide is also found in foods created during industrial cooking, such as ultra-processed foods, as well as in cigarettes and some cosmetics.
Concerns that acrylamide in foods can cause reactions in the body that could lead to cancer have been circulating for years.
But now a group of Spanish experts have discovered another potential risk from consuming acrylamide — cardiovascular disease.
The researchers, who published their findings in the journal Nutrients, analyzed dozens of studies dating back to 2007, involving over 100,000 individuals.
They found that higher acrylamide intake was associated with both a higher risk of suffering serious cardiovascular medical emergencies such as heart attack and stroke, as well as death from these conditions.
The researchers, from several universities and health organizations, cited studies that showed that extreme levels of acrylamide were linked to an 84 percent increased risk of cardiovascular death in vulnerable people, such as those at risk of type 2 diabetes.
High exposure to acrylamide through diet was said to increase the risk of cardiovascular death by one-third to two-thirds.
They also referenced a Chinese study showing that people with high levels of acrylamide exposure were between 47 and 67 percent more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease in the next decade.
In the studies analyzed, the average level of acrylamide in the diet ranged from 32.6 to 57 micrograms per day, with worse cardiovascular outcomes observed at the more "extreme" end of the scale.
The acrylamide content in an average slice of toast is thought to be around 4.8 micrograms per slice, and this doubles when toasted, according to Professor Oliver Jones, a chemistry expert at RMIT University in Melbourne, who spoke to The Telegraph.
Spanish scientists stated that, although it is not entirely clear how acrylamide harms cardiovascular health, laboratory tests suggested possible mechanisms.
One theory is that this substance promotes the accumulation of fat in body tissues and increases inflammation, which may contribute to cardiovascular problems such as obesity.
They added that further research into the potential implications of acrylamide for heart health is critical, given the high exposure in everyday life.
"It is a food processing contaminant that affects the entire population unintentionally throughout life," they write, GazetaExpress reports.
“Exposure to acrylamide comes not only from ultra-processed foods, but also from foods cooked at home and in restaurants, even when new cooking methods such as air frying are used.”
They said it was critical to raise public awareness about acrylamide, given the lack of general awareness of its presence in the daily diet.
"The population is largely unaware of the production of acrylamide in home-cooked foods and its presence in their daily diet," they write.
"Furthermore, browned foods are mistakenly perceived as more attractive and flavorful."
They added: "The increase in consumption of ultra-processed foods in recent decades, particularly among adolescents, remains a public health concern."
They acknowledged limitations, including the fact that most of the studies analyzed were based in the US, which may limit relevance to other groups.
Cardiovascular disease accounts for around a quarter of all deaths in the UK, equivalent to 170,000 deaths a year or 480 a day.
Acrylamide intake has also been linked to an increased risk of cancer.
Although this risk has been observed mainly in animal studies involving high amounts of acrylamide, experts agree that the potential risk also extends to humans and we should aim to reduce the amount we consume.
However, some scientists dispute the quality of the evidence.
According to Sir David Spiegelhalter, Professor of Statistics at the University of Cambridge, a person would have to consume 160 burnt slices of toast a day to have a concerning effect.
Despite this, health authorities such as the NHS have published advice on ways people can reduce exposure to acrylamide.
These include aiming for a “golden yellow color” when baking, frying, roasting or sautéing starchy foods, rather than a brown color.
They also recommend following package directions when cooking products like home fries and avoiding overcooking to get extra browning.
Health authorities also emphasize general dietary advice to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and to favor healthier cooking methods, such as boiling or steaming, to reduce exposure to acrylamide.
Acrylamide risk assessments published by UK regulators have failed to determine, based on current evidence, how much a person's risk of cancer increases from consuming it. /GazetaExpress/
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