Planning a BBQ? What you need to know before firing up the grill.

With the unofficial start of the outdoor barbecuing season almost upon us, here’s something to think about before firing up the grill: the food you’re about to cook may very well contain known carcinogens!

Research shows that grilling red meat, poultry, and fish at high temperatures causes the production of two carcinogens to form: heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These compounds are produced when a combination of creatine (a specific amino acid found in muscle) and sugars, which are both found naturally in meats, are heated during cooking. Grilling is particularly carcinogen-forming because the process involves high heat and long cooking times. And although levels of HCAs increase with heat and time — meaning well-done meat contains more carcinogens than meat less well-cooked — meat need not be well done or charred to contain HCAs. In fact, testing has found HCAs in grilled chicken cooked for just three minutes on each side!

The news doesn’t get much better from there. It seems HCAs are produced during the cooking process of some of the barbeque season’s most popular foods. According to the Cancer Project (http://www.cancerproject.org), the top 5 worst foods to grill are:

•        Well-done boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast

•        Well-done steak

•        Barbequed pork

•        Grilled salmon with skin

•        Well-done grilled hamburger

Studies have shown that exposure to one type of HCA, PhIP, is associated with roughly a doubling of breast cancer risk, even with exposure as low as 10-20 nanograms per day! (One gram contains 1 billion nanograms). In addition, the consumption of HCAs also increases the risk of several other cancers, including colon cancer. 

The Good News!

By now you’re probably thinking, what’s summer without a barbeque? We agree! So, here’s the good news: plant-based foods don’t contain HCAs! Creatine is found in muscle tissue, so vegetarian and/or vegan foods don’t contain detectable levels of HCAs when they’re grilled. And there are any number of delicious options to consider, including (non-GMO) soy burgers, grilled tempeh or seitan, vegetable kabobs, barbequed tofu, and portabella mushroom “burgers.”

In addition, choosing plant-based foods helps lower cancer risk in other ways. By eliminating red meat and substituting plant-based proteins, you’ll be significantly reducing your intake of saturated fats. Not only are saturated fats notorious for increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease such as heart attacks and stroke, they can also suppress immune function, slow down the body’s ability to detoxify, and increase levels of oxidation. And, as regular readers of our blog already know, people who eat plenty of fruits and vegetables—dark green, yellow, and orange fruits and vegetables, as well as, berries, beans, tomatoes, and carrots—lower their risk of several different types of cancer. 

So, this summer, when you fire up the grill, grab the veggies! It’ll taste great, and be great for your health too!   

For more information on The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment, call (847) 230-9107 or visit BlockMD.com.

Comments

[Irene McGuinness]

What about "planking"? I wonder how that works and what it produces. It tends to smoke things to being fully cooked. For example, I cedar plank seafood and other things. Any idea of the residuals?