The hidden danger on our tables,
Acrylamide, an industrial compound, is a colorless and odorless chemical. It is widely used in wastewater treatment processes, mines, research laboratories, surface coating, textile, and cosmetic industries. An accident that occurred in a mine in China in 1989 revealed that acrylamide causes damage to the nervous system, and subsequent studies have also uncovered its carcinogenic effects. Although high-dose exposure has been prevented by taking necessary precautions in its areas of use, a study conducted in 2002 mobilized many organizations, especially the World Health Organization. According to this study, acrylamide is not only present in industrial use but also on our tables, in our drinks, and even worse, it has already entered our bloodstream and settled in our internal organs…
According to the research, protein-containing foods exposed to heat treatment at 120 degrees and above contain 5±50 μg/kg of acrylamide, while in high-carbohydrate foods such as potatoes, beets, and crackers, this value rises to 150±4000 μg/kg. Frequently consumed processed foods in daily life such as biscuits, roasted almonds, chips, French fries, and coffee are also in the risk group due to their high acrylamide content. Although these levels may not directly cause severe neurological problems, the World Health Organization particularly draws attention to the “fast-food-based diet” that develops at an early age and warns parents about possible complications in the future, especially cancer. Among these is reproductive health.
While this newly emerging information is being clarified through survey studies, faster experimental studies conducted on mice show that we are facing an alarming situation. Accordingly, a carbohydrate-rich and unhealthy diet can cause infertility in male mice or congenital defects such as low birth weight in their offspring. While the number of sperm cells decreases with exposure to high doses of acrylamide, structural abnormalities are also observed. Although studies on female mice are still limited, a study published in 2017 by Turkish researchers (Aras et al. ....) shows that eggs exposed to high levels of acrylamide are delayed in maturation, and some even degenerate. Under these conditions, fertilization of the eggs is delayed or may not occur at all, and delayed fertilization leads to developmental abnormalities in the embryo. In short, while we sip our coffee, many establishments in the United States have already placed warning signs on their doors indicating that their products contain high levels of acrylamide.
In conclusion, a mechanism that completely prevents the formation of acrylamide has not yet been found. To protect ourselves, we should avoid cooking foods for long periods at high temperatures, prefer boiling instead of frying and grilling, limit carbohydrate-rich foods, and if possible, adopt a balanced diet. We should not forget that our daily dietary habits affect sperm and egg quality, and we should not overlook the impact of nutrition habits formed from an early age on reproductive health in later life.
Spec. Emb. Banu Boz Eniseler1 , Asst. Prof. Dr. Duru Aras Tosun2
1 İrenbe Obstetrics, Gynecology and IVF Center, İzmir
2 University of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology-Embryology, Ankara