Food Chemistry


FAST FOODS AND FOOD CHEMISTRY:

Our Tongue is killing us?:

Fast food and baked items, French fries and burgers... the names are enough to bring saliva in our mouth and create some kind of sensation in us

Is the hunger for fast-foods killing us …?



Partially yes, running after taste is making us move towards danger.

We unknowingly are progressing towards it.

The over-cooked food is main reason behind it. 

The cooking of these delicious or indeed dangerous items in oil under 110 – 120 degree Celcius brings about the production of a toxic compound called Acrylamide(C3H5NO) and recent research have shown that this substance has some toxic effects and can bring about a change in the cell types that is it can change the normal cell to cancer cell. Most studies till now have shown its effects are seen the most in case of breast cancer.


Another point to focus is that use of same cooking oil repeatedly and for different purposes lead to the formation of another toxic unwanted fat called trans-fat which is also proven to be very dangerous as it might cause several problems like clogged arteries, fat deposition, cancerous cell growth and heart diseases.





*The government is also taking steps towards it like banning of such items in university and college campuses, but this is just a little step towards it. We ourselves need to understand first that it is harmful for us and keep a control on our tongue it is not going to be so easy but if we are determined then it’s not that tough,but the start is necessary for that.

*Control measures needed to be taken quickly for that like checking by Foods Department and prevention of using the same oil for days and we too should stop that practice in our home everything needs to be started from the root level.

Now the biochemistry behind acrylamide needs to be understood and why is it important for all of us to know?

The overcooked food items be it oil or just baked leads the production of it and it enters our tissues along with our food.

The normal cell growth is affected by it and acrylamide by bringing about changes can affect the growth of these cells and turn them into cancerous affecting the whole body.

Thus this aspect of Food Chemistry is of prime concern now and we need to be aware as it might get too late.

 (Though the role of Acrylamide in cancer is still a controversial but its zero role in causing cancerous cell growth is still not said) 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stem cells the opportunities and challenges ahead

Image
STEM CELLS: THE OPPORTUNITIES  AND CHALLENGES AHEAD  -by Krishanu Choudhury. In this era where Diabetes and high blood pressure are very prevalent and has become a core problem of increased cardiac myopathies, renal failure as well as other complicated disorders which has left people losing their lives to such a disorder which is nothing but a “lifestyle disorder”. This has led to increase in demand in organ transplantations which doesn’t occur easily as there is crisis of organs. Now, the idea of a miracle cure and bodies healing themselves holds a particular fascination. Stem cell research brings regenerative medicine a step closer, but many of the ideas and concepts remain controversial. Stem cells sound interesting but what is basically a stem cell? Stem cells are a type of cell that can develop into many different types of cell. Stem cells can also renew themselves by dividing, even after they have been inactive for a long time. The human body requires ...
Read more

astrochemistry

Image
AN APPROACH TO ASTROCHEMISTRY -Arif Faisal Ahmed Tholins: The Complex Organic Molecules Of Space, Which May Be The Raw Materials For Life.   The word ‘Tholin’ was derived from the Greek word ‘tholĪŒs’, meaning ‘hazy’ or ‘muddy’. They are a wide variety of organic compounds formed by Solar ultraviolet irradiation or cosmic rays from simple carbon containing compounds such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) or ethane (C2H6), often in combination with nitrogen gas (N2) or water (H2O). Tholins are complex  polymer-like materials made of repeating chains of linked  subunits  and complex combinations of functional groups, including heteropolymers that give a reddish, organic surface covering on certain planetary surfaces, like the reddish-brown cap of the North Pole of Charon, the largest of five moons of Pluto.  Tholin formation:  Tholins may be a major constituent of the interstellar medium. Tholin is ...
Read more