Beware: the surprising danger lurking in your potato fries

Regardless of the season, potatoes are present in almost every kitchen. It's important to pay attention to how they are prepared. Although they contain many nutrients, such as potassium, magnesium, and zinc, a harmful substance may be released from them during thermal processing.

They often appear on our plates in various forms, most commonly as fries, puree, baked potatoes, or potato pancakes. However, few people realize that acrylamide can form dangerously during prolonged frying.

Foods rich in carbohydrates exposed to high temperatures (over 250 degrees Fahrenheit) during processes like frying, baking, or grilling contain significant amounts of poisonous acrylamide.

Its ingestion can negatively affect our bodies. It is a highly toxic compound formed during the preparation and production of food products. Particularly, large amounts of acrylamide are produced during the production of fries. In the body, acrylamide damages brain cells and causes breast cancer and bladder cancer.

What's worse is that not only fries, pancakes, or baked slices are problematic — chips and other fried snacks may also contain this undesirable substance, including roasted peanuts, almonds, biscuits, chocolate products, dried fruits, and many others. Therefore, it's worthwhile to be aware of this threat and prepare dishes to minimize the risk of its formation.

The good news for fry lovers is that they don't have to give them up. A simple method can avoid harmful acrylamide: Before frying, sliced potatoes should be soaked for about 10 minutes in hot water, and they'll be not only delicious but also safe.

This simple task can reduce the presence of harmful substances by up to 90% and help avoid unpleasant health consequences.

To maintain a healthy lifestyle, avoiding eating foods fried at high temperatures is important. If possible, replace them with healthier alternatives.