Cooking food at high temperatures damages the DNA within it, which can be absorbed by the consumer and may elevate cancer risk.
Many studies have associated consumption of food cooked at high temperatures with DNA damage, however it was considered that the damaging molecules produced, known as reactive species, would be unlikely to encounter and react with DNA. However, nucleotides, the key components of DNA, are released during digestion and incorporated into cell DNA. New research has shown that heat-damaged DNA was taken up by lab-grown cells, and mice, and caused increased DNA injury.
'We have shown that cooking can damage DNA in food, and have discovered that consumption of this DNA may be a source of genetic risk' said Professor Eric Kool, of the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences, California, and senior author of the study. 'Building upon these findings could really change our perceptions of food preparation and food choices'.
Professor Kool's team cooked food such as ground beef, ground pork, and potatoes, at high temperatures and then extracted the DNA from these foods. Collaborators at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Maryland, found the damaged DNA could impair gene functioning and lead to uncontrollable replication, as seen in cancer. A mix of damaged DNA similar to that seen from the high temperatures was then fed to mice in high concentrations.
The researchers found that the mice exposed to the damaged DNA had damage predominantly in the DNA of their small intestine lining, where most digestion takes place. The accompanying DNA consumed when we eat tends to be overlooked. However, the amount of DNA consumed, particularly from animal products, is not insignificant. For example, a 500g beef steak contains over a gram of cow DNA, according to the study, which was published in ACS Central Science.
'Our study raises a lot of questions about an entirely unexplored, yet possibly substantial chronic health risk from eating foods that are grilled, fried, or otherwise prepared with high heat' said Professor Kool. 'We don't yet know where these initial findings will lead, and we invite the wider research community to build upon them'.
The authors stress that this study was conducted in lab-grown cells and mice, not humans, and they were exposed to high concentrations of the damaged DNA. Further research would be needed to understand if this occurs in humans, and the impact of the longer term, lower doses of heat-damaged DNA typically consumed in human diets.
Sources and References
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Stanford researchers discover that heat-damaged DNA in food cooked at high temperatures could pose cancer risk
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Possible genetic risks from heat-damaged DNA in food
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Meat's damaged DNA damages your own to raise cancer risk, says study
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Food cooked at high temperatures may be cancerous; here's why
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Eating hot foods can damage DNA, according to a new study
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