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The way you prepare your breakfast could be causing serious harm to your heart, according to a new Spanish study. The research, published in the medical journal Nutrients, has revealed some shocking facts about popular breakfast foods like toast and coffee.
It found that a well-known chemical released during the preparation of these foods can significantly increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease and death from heart attacks or strokes. The culprit is acrylamide, a substance that forms on starchy foods like bread, potatoes and coffee when they are heated during cooking or brewing. Burning these foods results in even higher levels of this chemical.
Acrylamide is not a new discovery – it’s been found in industrial cooking products, ultra-processed foods, cigarettes and even some cosmetics. However, what is new is the link between this chemical and cardiovascular disease.
The research shows that exposure to acrylamide increases your risk of heart disease over the next decade by between 47% and 67%. After analysing numerous studies involving over 100,000 participants, the researchers found that this increased risk also leads to a higher chance of experiencing medical emergencies like heart attacks and strokes.
Specifically, dietary exposure to acrylamide was linked to a higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Eating foods with high levels of acrylamide could lead to worse cardiovascular health, with diets containing extreme amounts of the chemical showing poorer results. The average daily intake was estimated in the study between 32.6 and 57 micrograms, while a slice of toast might pack around 4.8 micrograms, doubling if burnt.
Scientists are still piecing together how acrylamide wreaks havoc on the heart, but one theory suggests it encourages fat to gather in tissues, upping the risk of heart issues. Experts have raised alarms over the public’s awareness of acrylamide, especially its presence in both home-cooked meals and restaurant dishes, not just in ultra-processed foods.
There’s also been talk linking acrylamide to cancer risks, stirring debate among medical professionals about the realistic consumption levels needed for such severe impacts. Nevertheless, the NHS has offered tips for Brits to cut down on acrylamide, advising a “golden yellow colour” rather than brown when cooking starchy foods and recommending boiling or steaming over baking, toasting, roasting, or frying to lessen exposure.
