The Study
Acrylamide and Advanced Glycation End Products in Frying Food: Formation, Effects, and Harmfulness
This study is like a science report that puts together lots of lab experiments with mice and test tubes to explain how frying food makes bad chemicals. But it doesn't study people at all, so we can't say these chemicals cause sickness in humans—only that they might, based on what happened in animals.
Analysis score
Maximum 5 for a narrative review.
Where the score came from
When you fry potatoes or other starchy foods at high heat, harmful chemicals called acrylamide and AGEs form. These can cause inflammation and damage your cells over time, which might lead to diseases like cancer or diabetes.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 51 / 100
Quality score
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They sit above a single cohort study but below a single randomized trial, because the underlying evidence is still observational.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — even though the enzyme reduces acrylamide dramatically, levels may still be slightly above safety benchmarks, so it helps but doesn't eliminate the risk.
- 2L-asparaginase enzyme can cut acrylamide in fried potatoes by up to 95%, without changing how they taste or look.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Foods
Year
2025
Authors
Arslan Rasool, Xiaoyu Luo, Qiqi Zhang, Caihua Jia, Siming Zhao, Ru Liu, Jianhua Rong, Guangsheng Zhou, Bo Wang, Jie Kuai, Jing Wang, Jie Zhao
Related Content
Claims (5)
Cooking carbohydrate- and protein-rich foods at high temperatures produces compounds called advanced glycation end products that trigger systemic inflammation.
Frying potatoes and other carbohydrate-rich foods at temperatures between 120°C and 170°C produces acrylamide, a neurotoxic and probable carcinogenic compound, through a chemical reaction between asparagine and reducing sugars; acrylamide levels decrease when frying occurs above 200°C.
Cooking protein-rich foods at high heat with little moisture, such as deep frying or roasting, increases the amount of a compound called Nε-carboxymethyllysine (CML) due to chemical reactions between sugars and proteins and the breakdown of fats.
Exposure to acrylamide and advanced glycation end products together increases oxidative stress and inflammation by reducing glutathione levels and activating RAGE receptors, which contributes to the progression of neurodegenerative, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases.
When fats are heated during frying, chemical reactions produce reactive compounds like methylglyoxal and glyoxal that directly form advanced glycation end products in fried foods, even without the Maillard reaction.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.