What scientists flagged
Scientists warned about acrylamide, a chemical released during cooking.
They said it could raise heart attack and stroke risk by 60 per cent.
Where acrylamide shows up
Acrylamide forms when starchy foods get heated during baking, frying, or roasting.
Bread, potatoes and coffee can produce it, especially when foods brown.
It is abundant in burnt carbohydrates, such as toast.
It can also appear in ultra-processed foods, cigarettes and some cosmetics.
What the review found
Spanish researchers published their findings in the journal Nutrients.
They reviewed dozens of studies dating back to 2007.
The studies involved over 100,000 individuals.
Higher acrylamide intake linked to heart attack, stroke, and death.
How big the risk looked
Some studies tied extreme levels to an 84 per cent higher cardiovascular death risk.
That applied to vulnerable people, such as those at risk of type 2 diabetes.
A Chinese study linked higher exposure to a 47 to 67 per cent rise.
That rise covered cardiovascular disease risk over the next decade.
Average intake ranged from 32.6 to 57 micrograms per day.
An average toast slice has about 4.8 micrograms, Professor Oliver Jones told The Telegraph.
He said this doubles when toast gets burnt.
What researchers said next
“It is a ubiquitous food processing contaminant to which the entire population is unintentionally exposed throughout life,” they wrote.
They called for more research and ways to cut acrylamide production.
They also noted limits, including that most studies came from the US.
However, some scientists dispute the quality of the evidence.