Scientists have found out whether burnt bread causes cancer

In burnt bread and other starch-containing products, acrylamide - a potentially dangerous compound associated with the risk of DNA damage and cancer development - is indeed formed during intense heating. However, its concentration in regular food is too small to pose a real health threat. This was reported by Ed Young, a representative of Cancer Research UK.

Scientists note that although acrylamide is also found in tobacco smoke, there's no need to panic: most studies were conducted on animals using doses that greatly exceed the level that humans get from food.

According to specialists, much greater harm to health is caused by other factors - regular consumption of alcohol, processed and red meat, fatty, sweet and salty foods. These, rather than burnt toast, are considered the main causes of cancer development.