Nutrition and Diet: How to remove acrylamide from the body?

October 6, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), adopting a healthy eating plan consistent with dietary guidelines is the best advice for managing acrylamide intake. This article explores effective dietary strategies and cooking techniques that support your body’s natural ability to process and excrete acrylamide, focusing on how to remove acrylamide from the body by minimizing intake and boosting detoxification pathways.

Quick Summary

The body naturally metabolizes and eliminates acrylamide, but minimizing intake is key. Learn how to optimize cooking methods, enhance the body's natural detoxification systems with key nutrients, and prioritize certain foods to support the removal of acrylamide's toxic metabolites.

Key Points

Reduce High-Heat Cooking: Frying, roasting, and high-temp baking create the most acrylamide, so prioritize boiling, steaming, or microwaving to minimize exposure.
Embrace 'Golden, Not Brown': Cook starchy foods like potatoes and toast to a light, golden color rather than dark brown, as darker areas contain more acrylamide.
Support Glutathione: Consume foods that support your body's master antioxidant, glutathione, such as cruciferous vegetables, garlic, onions, and lean proteins.
Boost with Antioxidants: Increase intake of polyphenol-rich foods like berries, green tea, and rosemary to help counteract oxidative stress caused by acrylamide.
Hydrate to Excrete: Drinking plenty of water is essential for flushing out the conjugated, water-soluble metabolites of acrylamide and glycidamide via urine.
Prepare Potatoes Properly: Avoid storing raw potatoes in the fridge and soak raw slices in water before cooking to reduce acrylamide formation.
Diversify Your Diet: Eating a balanced diet with a wide variety of whole foods naturally reduces your reliance on high-acrylamide items and supports overall health.

Acrylamide is a chemical compound that can form in certain foods, particularly plant-based ones rich in carbohydrates and the amino acid asparagine, when cooked at high temperatures (above 120°C). Frying, roasting, and baking are common cooking methods that produce acrylamide through the Maillard reaction, which also causes browning. While the body does not have a single mechanism to "remove" acrylamide instantly, it possesses sophisticated natural detoxification pathways. The most effective strategy is therefore a two-pronged approach: significantly reducing dietary intake and supporting the body's internal systems responsible for processing and excreting the compound.

Understanding How the Body Handles Acrylamide

The Body's Detoxification Pathways

Once absorbed, acrylamide is distributed throughout the body and undergoes metabolism primarily in the liver. The process involves two phases:

Phase I Metabolism: Acrylamide is converted into a more reactive and potentially harmful metabolite called glycidamide by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, specifically CYP2E1. Glycidamide is particularly concerning due to its ability to damage genetic material.
Phase II Metabolism (Detoxification): Both acrylamide and glycidamide are detoxified by conjugation with glutathione, the body’s master antioxidant, in a process catalyzed by glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs). This conjugation produces mercapturic acid derivatives, which are then excreted via urine. The efficiency of this pathway varies between individuals due to genetic factors related to the GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes.

The Most Effective Strategy: Minimizing Acrylamide Intake

Since the body's detoxification process can be overburdened, the best strategy is proactive reduction of exposure. This involves simple changes to food selection and preparation.

Cooking Methods Matter

Acrylamide is directly linked to high-temperature cooking. Choosing alternative methods can drastically lower your intake.

Boiling, Steaming, and Microwaving: These water-based cooking methods operate at temperatures below 120°C, preventing the Maillard reaction from occurring and thus not producing acrylamide. Use these methods for potatoes and other starchy vegetables.
Lower Temperature, Shorter Time: If you must fry, roast, or bake, reduce the cooking temperature and time. The Food Standards Agency recommends cooking to a golden yellow color or lighter, avoiding heavily browned or burnt sections.

Smart Storage and Preparation

Simple kitchen practices can make a difference:

Potato Storage: Do not store raw potatoes in the refrigerator. Cold temperatures can increase the amount of reducing sugars, which in turn increases acrylamide formation during cooking. Store them in a cool, dark place.
Soaking Raw Potatoes: Soaking raw potato slices in water for 15–30 minutes before cooking can help reduce acrylamide formation. Be sure to drain and blot them dry before cooking.

Boosting Your Body's Natural Defense Systems

While reducing intake is paramount, certain dietary choices can support your body's ability to process and eliminate toxic compounds like glycidamide and acrylamide.

The Power of Antioxidants

Antioxidants help mitigate the oxidative stress caused by acrylamide and its metabolites.

Polyphenol-Rich Foods: Plant-derived compounds such as polyphenols and flavonoids have shown protective effects against acrylamide toxicity in studies. Foods like green tea, berries, and rosemary extract are particularly rich in these compounds.
Cruciferous Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, and kale contain compounds that support detoxification pathways. Specifically, they aid in boosting glutathione production.
Vitamin E: This powerful antioxidant is found in nuts, seeds, and leafy greens. It can help protect against oxidative damage caused by toxins.

Supporting Glutathione Production

Glutathione is a key molecule in the body's detoxification of acrylamide.

Protein Sources: Amino acids are essential precursors for glutathione. Ensuring adequate protein intake from lean meats, fish, eggs, and beans is important.
Sulphur-Rich Foods: Onions and garlic are rich in sulphur compounds, which are critical for glutathione synthesis.

Hydration is Key to Excretion

Adequate hydration is critical for the final stage of the detoxification process. The mercapturic acid derivatives created during phase II metabolism are water-soluble and excreted via the kidneys in urine. Increasing your water intake helps ensure this process is efficient.

Foods to Limit and Favor: A Comparison

To effectively manage your acrylamide intake, it's helpful to compare high and low-risk food options and preparation methods.


Feature	High Acrylamide Content (Limit)	Low Acrylamide Content (Favor)
Cooking Method	Frying, roasting, high-temp baking	Boiling, steaming, microwaving
Starchy Vegetables	French fries, potato chips, heavily roasted potatoes	Boiled potatoes, steamed potatoes
Grain Products	Well-done toast, crunchy cereals, crackers	Lightly toasted bread, less crunchy cereals, rice
Coffee	High-temperature roasted coffee beans	N/A (acrylamide forms during bean roasting, not home brewing)
Snack Foods	Heavily processed snacks, potato crisps	Seafood-based snacks, nuts (generally low)
Preparation	No soaking, high temps	Soaking potatoes, cooking to golden color

A Holistic Approach to Mitigation

Minimizing exposure through mindful cooking and strategic food choices remains the most effective way to address dietary acrylamide. While some research, primarily from animal and cell studies, suggests benefits from specific antioxidants like quercetin and probiotics, these are not standalone solutions. A balanced diet rich in whole foods, fruits, and vegetables supports the body's own natural detoxification pathways. By combining reduced consumption of high-risk foods with an intake of nutrient-dense foods, you empower your body's inherent defense mechanisms. The focus should be on a sustainable, healthy lifestyle rather than on "detox" gimmicks or supplements for which human evidence is limited.

For more information on acrylamide and dietary guidelines, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, the body has natural detoxification mechanisms to process acrylamide. It is metabolized in the liver, converted into metabolites, and then excreted, primarily in urine.

There is no food that can instantly 'detox' acrylamide. However, eating foods rich in antioxidants, like berries and green tea, and those that support glutathione production, such as cruciferous vegetables, can aid the body's natural processes.

Cooking methods involving high, dry heat, such as frying, roasting, and baking, produce the most acrylamide. Lower-temperature methods like boiling and steaming produce very little to none.

Yes, the level of browning on cooked starchy foods is a visual cue. The darker the color (especially dark brown or burnt areas), the higher the acrylamide content is likely to be.

Acrylamide forms during the roasting of coffee beans, not during home brewing. While coffee contains acrylamide, its consumption is generally part of an overall balanced diet. Focusing on reducing high-impact sources like heavily fried potatoes is more impactful.

Yes, soaking raw potato slices in water for 15-30 minutes before frying or roasting can help reduce acrylamide formation during the cooking process.

Yes, storing raw potatoes in the refrigerator can increase their reducing sugar content, leading to higher acrylamide formation when they are later cooked at high temperatures.

While some studies on specific supplements (e.g., antioxidants) suggest protective effects in animal models, human evidence is limited. The most reliable strategy is a whole-food diet that supports natural detoxification processes, rather than relying on supplements.