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Consuming
large amounts of acrylamide, a chemical commonly found in
French fries, cakes, snacks and even coffee, appears to
raise the risk of kidney cancer, especially in smokers,
Dutch researchers report. "Ours is the first report of a
positive association between dietary acrylamide intake and
renal cell cancer," said the researcher at Maastricht
University in the Netherlands. Studies of the chemical have
been ongoing since 1994, when the International Agency for
Research on Cancer classified the chemical as a probable
human carcinogen. Experts thought the main exposure was
environmental, through cigarette smoke and, to a lesser
extent, cosmetics. But in 2002, Swedish scientists reported
the presence of the chemical in carbohydrate-rich foods
produced at high temperatures, including French fries and
potato chips. Studies of the chemical's link to various
cancers have yielded mixed results. The Dutch research team
took data from the Netherlands Cohort Study on diet and
cancer, which includes more than 120,000 men and women, aged
55 to 69. They followed them for more than 13 years, looking
at all the cases of kidney, bladder and prostate cancers.
They took a random sample of 5,000 people to look at their
dietary habits. The average intake of acrylamide from the
diet was 21.8 micrograms -- a little less than what is
included in a 2.5-ounce serving of French fries. Those who
took in the most -- averaging 40.8 micrograms a day -- had a
59 percent higher risk of kidney cancer (but not the other
cancers) than those consuming the least. For most people,
coffee was the major source of the chemical. However, a
popular snack, Dutch spiced cake, was the main source of the
chemical for those consuming the most. The relationship was
found to be stronger for smokers. For each additional 10
micrograms ingested of the chemical, kidney cancer risk
increased by 10 percent, the researchers found. Exactly how
the acrylamide boosts cancer risk isn't known, but the
hypothesis is that metabolites of the acrylamide cause DNA
damage, according to the researcher. Limiting the
consumption of foods containing the chemical is wise, the
scientist said. "Also, in preparing food at home, fry
potatoes at temperatures below 175 degrees Celsius and fry
them to gold-yellow, not dark brown [the more brown, the
more acrylamide]. The same goes for making toast and
cookies", the researcher added. |