Originally published July 21 2005
Health site offers tips for healthier grilling
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Barbeques may be tasty, but the grilling can coat your meat with cancer-causing chemicals, according to health experts, so Newswise offers some information to make grilling your favorite dishes a little more healthy.
Meat sizzling on the grill may tempt your taste buds, but all that barbecuing may be cooking up cancer-causing chemicals, warn experts at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
However, by "being careful and making wise choices," Dana-Farber nutritionist Stephanie Vangsness, RD, LDN, CNSD, says that it is possible to safely enjoy those summer time favorites like grilled burgers, steaks, and chicken.
Research has shown that high-heat grilling can convert proteins in red meat, pork, poultry, and fish into heterocyclic amines (HCAs), chemicals that have been linked to a number of cancers.
Also, the smoke generated when fat and juices drip on the hot coals or rocks can contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), another potential cancer causing chemical.
As the smoke rises up past the food it can deposit PAHs on the surface of the meat.
"The main cancer causing compound that occurs in grilling comes from the smoke," says Vangsness.
Choose lean cuts of meat, instead of high-fat varieties such as ribs and sausage.
Thicker marinades have a tendency to "char," possibly increasing exposure to carcinogenic compounds.
This will limit the time needed to cook on the grill.
Flip burgers often: Once every minute.
Try lining the grill with aluminum foil and poking holes, and cooking on cedar planks.
Lean meats create less dripping and less smoke.
Choose smaller cuts of meat, like kabobs, as they take less time to cook.
They do not contain the protein that forms harmful HCAs.
Above all, Vangsness says it is important for people to keep their grilling-related cancer risks in proper perspective.
"If you're grilling and following the proper safety tips, the risk of getting cancer from grilling food is extremely low."
Moreover, she stresses the importance of eating a balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables that contain protective antioxidants.
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