French Fries and Carcinogens: Are French Fries Carcinogenic?

A story that once made headlines was a recent report by Swedish researchers suggesting a less-than-delectable finding with your French fries. Their report, released in 2002, said that eating fried or baked starch could increase your risk of getting cancer. According to their study, frying potatoes cause the formation of an organic molecule called acrylamide, which has been seen as a cancer-causing agent in rats grown in the laboratory.

Though the report was very dramatic, it immediately met criticism, even inside Sweden. The report was in its preliminary stage, and no clinical-trials were or longitudinal studies were made to actually prove their findings. Even scientists from the University of Stockholm, and National Food Association of Sweden called for further study, as acrylamides were found conclusively harmful as inhaled material, not ingested.

Even if the Swedish studies prove conclusive, there still may not be cause for apprehension. Acrylamide must be found in significant amounts to prove that French fries, or any fried food for that matter, cause cancer. Nevertheless, this does not defend deep-frying as a habit in cooking food. Deep-frying adds a lot of fat into food, and increased fat consumption is linked with heart disease. With the Swedish findings still inconclusive, this does not mean reaching out for more fries.

Talking about cancer, there are other ways to reduce your risk of getting it save from passing up on the fries. Quitting smoking considerably lessens your risks, as cigarettes contain far more acrylamide than potatoes would ever have. You should also eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables everyday, and exercise regularly. Red meat and fatty foods must be avoided. While these may not guarantee for sure you would never get cancer, but they sure would help stack the odds in your favor.