It’s summer and we all love to grill. Lots of us grill in
winter as well, that’s how much we love it. Now we hear cancer researchers are snooping around our love affair with grilling foods. If you are like most of us, when you hear word cancer your ears perk up. So are grilling those beloved hamburgers and hotdogs a threat to your health?
From what I understand, cancer researchers have found that grilling red meat, poultry, and fish causes formation of carcinogenic compounds called HCA’s (heterocyclic amine). And, when fat from our grilling cuisine drips onto hot coals, another group of cancer-causing substances is formed. These are PAH’s (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) which are deposited onto food through smoke and flames.
The good news is, that researchers actually strongly disagree whether or not eating grilled foods actually pose a significant health risk. HCA’s have been linked to increased risk of cancers of breast, colon, stomach, and prostrate, however, most of evidence is based only on animal studies not humans.
So what should we do when experts don’t agree? Maybe it makes most sense to take some extra precautions when grilling rather than to give up one of greatest gifts of summer. There are a few things we can do to minimize our exposure to carcinogens. The most effective way would be to marinate foods before grilling. Even brief marinating helps. In some studies, marinades have been found to reduce amount of HCA’s formed by as much as 92 to 99 percent. Marinades may act as a barrier keeping flames from directly touching meat. The ingredients within marinade may also offer protection. Lots of marinades contain vitamin C, vitamin E and naturally-occurring compounds in herbs and spices that have cancer-fighting properties.
Some other ways to limit formation of carcinogens would be to try grilling foods that pose less risk. Try foods like vegetables, fruits, veggie burgers, tofu, quesadillas and even pizza. You could also precook meat, poultry, and fish in an oven or microwave and then grill just for flavor. Chopping foods up into small pieces or making kebabs speeds up cooking process so that food spends less time on grill. Also cooking food at a lower temperature by raising grill rack a few inches might be helpful. New research suggests that flipping foods once per minute speeds up cooking process, keeps meat from burning, and still effectively kills bacteria. If you punch holes in foil to either wrap food or cover grill food will drain but will inhibit contact with flame. Be sure to trim fat, which can drip into flames and cause flare-ups. Before eating, remove all charred or burnt pieces.
