Reducing Acrylamide In Coffee
Posted by Slobokan @ 12:25 · 328 words · print
A study by the European Commission and Nestlé Product Technology reports that efforts to reduce the acrylamide content of coffee also negatively affect flavour and nutritional benefits.
The results, published in the journal LWT – Food Science and Technology, sets up an interesting "risk-benefit" conundrum for ingredients such a coffee, with debate likely to focus on whether benefits outweigh the risks or vice versa.
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"Increasing the roasting degree led to a decrease in acrylamide concentration as well as radical scavenging capacity," wrote lead author Carmelina Summa from the EC's Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements.
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According to background information by Summa and co-workers, coffee contributes about 40 per cent of the total acrylamide exposure in Sweden and about 33 per cent of that in Switzerland, making it a significant contributor from dietary sources. The suspected carcinogen is formed during the Maillard reaction that is initiated during roasting.
However, the Maillard reaction also leads to the production of melanoidins, compounds with potent antioxidant activity. Coffee is said to contribute 64 per cent of an average Norwegian's antioxidant intake, and has been linked to a reduced risk of certain disease, especially liver disease and diabetes.
So it seems, at this point, we have a choice. Do we increase the roasting degree of coffee and decrease the known carcinogen acrylamide, or do we keep things as they are to keep the antioxidant levels where they are and take a chance on what the acrylamide is doing to our bodies?
Sure, we know that coffee is a great source of antioxidants, which are known to help reduce risk of several diseases, but how willing are we to gamble with acrylamide? We know it causes cancer. We know it causes several other conditions such as memory loss, confusion, etc. We know the affects of acrylamide exposure are hereditary.
It's a no brainer for me. I eat plenty of foods high in antioxidants, so I don't have to drink coffee. :)
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