Glycidol: The DNA-Damager in Fried Foods

Glycidol is a genotoxic carcinogen produced during the refining of vegetable oils and the frying process. Unlike non-genotoxic substances, glycidol has no known safe level of intake because it directly mutates DNA. Research indicates that average human exposure is approximately 50 micrograms per day, while the threshold for a 1 in 100,000 lifetime cancer risk is less than 1 microgram. Children and infants fed with industrially prepared formula are at particularly high risk, with intake levels potentially exceeding acceptable limits by 200-fold. While fried food consumption is strongly linked to cardiovascular mortality, specific links to prostate cancer have also been observed in men. Manufacturers have yet to find a way to refine oils without creating these byproducts while maintaining product quality.