Acrylamide is an industrial neurotoxic chemical that has been found in carbohydrate-rich foods cooked at high temperatures. Acrylamide was designated as a probable human carcinogen by IARC (1994) and USEPA (1988).

Subscribe to a FREE Supplement Research Update newsletter. Twice a month we email a brief abstract of several studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics, including acrylamide, and their practical interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Baking or frying carbohydrate-rich foods such as potatoes or cereals forms acrylamide, a much studied substance classified as a probable human carcinogen. An ordinary bag of potato crisps may contain up to 500 times more of the substance than the top level allowed in drinking water by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Animal studies have demonstrated an increased incidence of tumors in rats exposed to very high levels.

Avoiding Acrylamide in Food
Reduce your intake of potato chips or crisps, popcorn, pretzels, bread, bagels, baked goods, donuts, and biscuits. Avoid baking or frying at high temperatures. For information on a healthy diet.

Acrylamide and Colorectal Cancer
Dietary intake of acrylamide does not appear to be associated with colorectal cancer in women

Acrylamide and Ginseng
The objective of a study was to evaluate the protective effects of Panax ginseng extract against acrylamide -induced toxicity in rats. Sixty adult Sprague Dawley female rats were divided into six groups included a control group, a group treated orally with acrylamide for 11 days, a group treated orally with Panax ginseng extract for 11 days and groups treated orally with Panax ginseng for 11 days before, during or after 11 days of acrylamide treatment. The results indicated that treatment with acrylamide alone resulted in a significant increase in lipid peroxidation level and LDH activity in brain homogenate as well as in serum CK activity, whereas it caused a significant decrease in SOD activity. Serum serotonin, corticosterone, T3, T4, TSH, estradiol, progesterone and plasma adrenaline were significantly decreased in acrylamide -treated rats. Treatment with Panax ginseng before, during or after acrylamide treatment reduced or partially antagonized the effects induced by acrylamide towards the normal values of controls. It could be concluded that Panax ginseng extract exhibited a protective action against acrylamide toxicity and it is worth noting that treatment with Panax ginseng extract before or at the same time as acrylamide treatment was more effective than when administered after acrylamide treatment.

Acrylamide questions
Q. Could taking antioxidant herbs or nutrients such as curcumin or lipoic acid reduce the risk from acrylamide?
   A. Perhaps, but I have not seen such studies.

For additional links
Multivitamin information
Hoodia information