Fried, baked foods may boost risk of lymphatic cancers

Eating fried and or baked foods may increase risk of lymphatic malignancies drastically in men, acco…

Eating fried and or baked foods may increase risk of lymphatic malignancies drastically in men, according to a new epidemiological study released in PLoS ONE.

The study led by Mathilda L. Bongers of Maastricht University Medical Centre in Maastricht, The Netherlands and colleagues found an intake of 10 ug acrylamide per day during a 16.3 years of follow-up was associated with a 14 percent increased risk for multiple myeloma in men. T he increase was 28 percent
for follicular lymphoma in men.

Acrylamide, a known probable human carcinogen is present in fried and baked starchy foods has already been linked with many types of cancers since its finding in 2002. The current study is believed to be the first to examine the association between dietary acrylamide and risk of several histological subtypes of lymphatic malignancies.

For the study, the researchers analysed data on dietary acrylamide from 5,000 participants who were randomly picked from 120,852 men and women enrolled in T he Netherlands Cohort Study on diet and cancer. During a 16.3 years of follow-up, 1,233 microscopically confirmed incident cases of lymphatic cancers were identified and used in the study.

The association between acrylamide intake and the risk of multiple myeloma was found particularly higher among never-smoking men, that is, men with 10 ug per day of acrylamide per day was associated with a 98 percent increased risk for multiple myeloma.

But somehow no association was observed for women.

The researchers concluded "acrylamide may increase the risk of multiple myeloma and follicular lymphoma in men. This is the first epidemiological study to investigate the association between dietary acrylamide intake and the risk of lymphatic malignancies, and more research into these observed associations is warranted."

This study does not link dietary intake of acrylamide with risk of lymphatic malignancies in women but that does not mean it is safe for women. Studies have associated dietary exposure to acrylamide with increased risk of breast cancer.

French fries, potato chips, snack foods, crackers, chocolate products, coffee, cookies, and cereals contain highest amounts of acrylamide.