Could potato chips really cause cancer? Now that my teens make their own money from after-school jobs, they’re buying their own junk food, like potato chips. With this stuff around, we’re all eating more of it. But I just heard that the acrylamide in potato chips is still high enough to cause cancer and heart disease. Should I put a ban on them?
While there is evidence that you should limit chips, you don’t need to avoid the snack completely. Research in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirmed that even though levels of acrylamide in fried and baked potato chips have been reduced to about 150 mcg per 4 oz., they still harbor enough of the toxin to increase internal oxidative stress. And this can lead to weight gain, heart disease and cancer risk. So try to get everyone to stick to less than 4 oz. per week, which is considered safe. And for added assurance, have everyone drink two 8 oz. cups of warm or iced green tea daily. Its antioxidants are proven to reduce the effects of acrylamide by protecting cells from oxidative stress.
