It's summer. For many people, that means getting out the old BBQ and grilling everything from steak to hamburgers, chicken to shrimp.
Grilling can seem healthy because it doesn't add extra fat to the food, as long as greasy marinades aren't used. But the grilling process itself can be unhealthy unless certain guidelines are followed.
Problems with Cooking at High Temperatures
Undercooking meat is bad because it doesn't kill bacteria such as E.coli and salmonella, which result in food poisoning, illness or even death.
But overcooking meat is just as bad. When cooking food at high temperatures or grilling meat until well done, the cooking process can create polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs). This is particularly true with fattier cuts of meat.
BBQs Can Produce Carcinogens - Cancer-causing Agents
The first two compounds – PAH and HCA – are carcinogens; that is, cancer-causing agents. These have been linked to both stomach and colon cancer. One study showed that people who ate the most BBQ red meat came close to doubling their risk of getting colon polyps, which could lead to colon cancer. Another study showed a 47% higher risk of developing breast cancer among menopausal women who ate a lot of grilled meat, possibly because the carcinogens traveled through the bloodstream from the digestive system into other tissues.
The third compound, AGE, does exactly what its name implies: it ages people. Helen Vlassara, M.D., from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, is a professor of medicine and geriatrics. She specializes in AGE research and was quoted in an article in Women's Health magazine as saying, "If you have high amounts of AGEs in your body – no matter how young you are – you're on your way to developing chronic diseases you normally wouldn't see until you are much older." Some of those chronic diseases include Alzheimer's, diabetes and heart disease
Between cancer and aging, BBQs are looking pretty scary.
Tips to Make Grilling Healthier
BBQs still have a place in summer. Taking a few extra steps will make grilling a healthier way to cook.
Choose leaner cuts of meat:
- Select fish or take the skin off chicken before grilling.
- For beef, choose sirloin cuts, top round or flank which are naturally leaner.
- Go for game meats like venison or bison which are tasty, just have less fat.
Use a marinade:
- To reduce the formation of HCAs, use a marinade with honey, lemon, garlic or onion which contain sulfur compounds and antioxidants that may slow the formation of HCAs.
- Baste food while cooking to keep it moist which also slows down the negative aspects of grilling.
- Stay away from commercial marinades that contain high-fructose corn syrup which causes AGE.
Don't overcook:
When it comes to carcinogens, 212 degrees is the magic number. Once the meat hits that temperature, problems begin to arise. To minimize the risk of cancer:
- Make friends with a meat thermometer and use it often.
- Beef is done when its internal temperature is 160 degrees.
- Chicken and turkey are done when their internal temperature is 170 degrees.
- Precook meat and poultry (braise or steam for more moisture) and only use the BBQ for crisping up the outside.
- Place a foil tent over meat before grilling to seal moisture in, and PCAs and HCAs out.
Pay attention to the temperature:
- When grilling with gas, use a moderate temperature.
- When grilling with charcoal, gauge the heat with a hand test. Place a hand about five inches above the grill and count the number of seconds before the heat is too hot to leave the hand in place. Two to four seconds is hot, five to seven seconds is medium and eight to 10 seconds is low. Aim for medium heat.
Don't let fears of cancer or aging stop summer BBQs. Just use a little common sense, and a juicy burger or chicken wing can be moments away.
Sources:
- Women'shealthmag.com, "Grill, Interrupted: Crispy sear marks look great on a steak--but (gasp) those charred bits make you age faster. Here's how to fight back." (accessed May 26, 2010.)
- Msnb.com. "To grill or not to grill? Take steps to minimize cancer risk." (accessed May 26, 2010).
Harriet Cooper - Harriet Cooper writes for magazines, newspapers and websites on health, nutrition, the environment, ESL, cats and feng shui.
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