
So, fast and convenience foods have similar problems ...
Re:
https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/retr ... xperts-say
"Retro coffee on rise with younger drinkers despite vision concerns"
"the industrial dehydration process used to make instant coffee may create compounds
that trigger inflammation and oxidative stress, two major causes of AMD
(age-related macular degeneration)."
(
Perplexity, summary) "French fries form acrylamide in much the same way as coffee and are one of the major
dietary sources of this compound. When potatoes (rich in starch, sugars, and the amino acid asparagine) are fried
at high temperatures, the Maillard reaction generates acrylamide in substantial amounts.
Studies measuring foods commonly show French fries in the hundreds to over a thousand micrograms of acrylamide
per kilogram, often in the same order of magnitude as roasted coffee and sometimes higher than brewed coffee
on a per‑weight basis. Population exposure assessments consistently identify fried potato products and coffee
together as leading contributors to acrylamide intake."
Q: What other high heat cooking causes related problems?
Barbeque with blackened meat?
(
P) "Yes. Many high-heat cooking methods create similar 'neo-formed' compounds that are linked to inflammation,
oxidative stress, and cancer risk, and barbecue with blackened meat is a prime example.
High temperatures can generate several groups of concerning chemicals:
- Acrylamide: forms mainly in starchy foods (potatoes, breads, chips) when fried, baked, or roasted at high heat,
and is classified as a probable human carcinogen.
- Advanced glycation end products (AGEs): produced when sugars react with proteins or fats during intense browning;
they promote inflammation and oxidative stress and are linked with cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.
- Trans fats and oxidation products: overheating or repeatedly heating oils can create trans fats and oxidized lipids
that harm blood vessels and increase heart disease risk.
Barbecuing or grilling meat over high flame, especially until blackened, adds two more important groups of compounds:
- Heterocyclic amines (HCAs): form in muscle meats (beef, pork, poultry, fish) when amino acids and creatine react
at high temperatures (pan-frying, grilling, barbecuing); levels rise with higher temperature and more 'well-done' or charred meat.
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): produced when fat drips onto flame or coals, creating smoke that deposits PAHs
onto the meat; also present in smoke from smoking meats.
You do not need to avoid these foods entirely, but it is sensible to reduce both frequency and intensity of exposure.
Helpful steps include:
- Favoring gentler methods (steaming, boiling, stewing, pressure cooking, lower-temperature baking) for daily cooking,
aving deep-frying and high-heat grilling for occasional use.
- With grilling/barbecue: trim excess fat, avoid open flames and heavy smoke, flip meat often, pre-cook in the oven
or microwave to reduce grill time, and cut off very black or heavily charred areas instead of eating them.
- For starchy foods: aim for 'golden, not dark brown' when baking or frying potatoes and breads,
and avoid overcooking or repeatedly reheating oils.
In the context of AMD or other chronic diseases, these same compounds (acrylamide, AGEs, PAHs, HCAs, oxidized fats)
all contribute to systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, so moderating high-heat, heavily browned/blackened foods
and prioritizing a plant-rich, antioxidant-heavy diet is a reasonable strategy."
Rod
