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Barbecuing Really Healthier? |
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People used to question the nutritional effects of
barbecuing because they were concerned about the fat content of traditional
barbecue fare like hot dogs and hamburgers. That concern is valid, but it's
easily avoided by substituting skinless chicken and fish.
Unfortunately, researchers say there is still another concern about the health
impact of barbecuing any animal meats: when they are cooked in the intense heat
of the barbecue, substances are formed that have been clearly shown to be
carcinogens (substances that can start the development of cancer).
...and these
substances develop regardless of whether low-fat or high-fat, red meat or white
meat is on the grill.
In a landmark report on diet and cancer risk, the American Institute for Cancer
Research (AICR) notes that as meat - red or white - is cooked, natural
substances that it contains react under intense heat to form compounds called
heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that have been linked with increased cancer risk in
some animal studies. The longer the cooking time and higher the temperature, the
more these carcinogenic substances formed.
Studies in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute have shown that people
who frequently eat heavily browned or very well done meat are three to five
times more likely to develop breast, colon and stomach cancer than those who eat
it less often. Studies of rodents demonstrated that these HCAs are distributed
to mammary (breast) tissue and cause changes in a cell's genetic material.
However, we don't have proof that this process occurs in people.
Does this mean that if you care about your health you must banish the grill? Not
necessarily. Researchers note that how people barbecue affects the risks. For
example, marinating meat or poultry even briefly before cooking reduces the
amount of HCAs formed by about 96 percent. Partially pre-cooking meat for two
minutes in the microwave just before grilling prevents 90 percent of the HCAs
normally formed.
Avoid the black char that often forms during grilling, since it is particularly
concentrated in cancer-causing substances. Other carcinogens of concern come
from the smoke. You can limit the meat's contact with smoke and decrease this
risk if you raise the grill a little higher from the heat and choose leaner
meats and trim all visible fat so it can't drip and cause smoking. Placing food
in a foil packet also prevents smoking.
The rest of your meal can reduce the risks of grilling as well. Antioxidant
vitamins and phytochemicals in fruits, vegetables and soy foods seem to block
some of the damage HCAs do to cells. Studies from Oregon State University
demonstrate that substances in tea increase the body's ability to detoxify and
excrete HCA before they do their damage.
Look at the overall balance of your meal. AICR recommends that at any meal,
animal protein like meat, poultry and seafood should occupy no more than a third
of your plate. And that's especially true when it's grilled. By limiting your
meat portion, you limit your exposure to HCAs and other carcinogens. And by
enjoying a healthy portion of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, you get loads
of cancer-fighting, health-promoting nutrients and phytochemicals. If you want
to grill some of these veggies, that's no problem, since the HCA reaction occurs
only in foods with animal protein.
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