There has been a study recently concluded on whether acrylamide, a chemical that is produced in many potato products where the potato is significantly altered from it’s natural state, like in french fries and baked potatoes, and even potatoe chips, contributes to causes of breast cancer in today’s woman’s average diet.  This chemical, which has long been attacked by the health (natural health) community, has been linked to a number of illnesses and human conditions, but mostly it is suspected as being a cause of several different types of cancers in both men and women because of it’s effects on the body.

However, this recent study seems to show that there is in fact no link to cancer, at least breast cancer, and the chemical acrylamide.  This doesn’t mean you should be eating these types of foods every day though, I’d still definitely limit them, simply because deyhydrated and fried potato products aren’t exactly what the doctor ordered when it comes to controlling and regulating the blood sugar, and can definitely contribute to weight gain and obesity if they are abused and eaten in large quantities.

Acrylamide is not just found in potato products though, it has also been found in high quantities in other processed foods like prune juice, crackers and even black olives, one of my favorites since I eat them to get some omega 3 fatty acids in my diet, and I also happen to love the taste. Oh yeah, and peanut butter is another offender.  It was discovered that these foods could be carcinogenic when eaten in high quantities a few years back, and ever since then these types of products have been put under a microscope.

The study however, was really done questionnaire style, which quite frankly I’m a little leery of since it doesn’t really guarantee that everyone is 100% truthful in their diet habits or even accurate, whether on purpose or not.  They found that statistically women with diets high in foods that contained a lot of this acrylamide were not any more likely to get breast cancer than their counterparts that did not consume a lot of this chemical in their diet. This sounds good, but in general, I’d still stay away from these foods.

Try to stick to natural, whole foods instead of buying processed.  The biggest offenders with the most acrylamides tended to be starchy foods that were heated at very high temperatures, which means processed foods.  The less processed food you eat, the better it is for your health, your waistline, and your continued status as a cancer-free individual.

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Posted in Breast Health by Breast News Girl No Comments Yet