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!