Make a mental adjustment about barbecues
Topsham — With Father’s Day approaching, many families will celebrate the occasion with backyard barbecues. The American Cancer Society suggests making simple changes to your cookouts to help make healthy choices for your family. Instead of treating meat as the main attraction, view it as a side dish. Excessive consumption of grilled meats cooked at a very high temperature is a risk factor for developing cancer.
Research has shown that cooking meats at very high temperatures creates chemical (heterocyclic amines, or HAs) that might increase cancer risk. HAs are created by the burning of amino acids and other substances in meats cooked at particularly high temperatures and that are particularly well-done. Has turn up in grilled and barbecued meat as well as broiled and pan-fried meat.
There is also some concern fats from the meat dripping onto coals create additional chemicals in smoke that may land back on the meat. Of greatest concern to researchers are chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which have been linked to cancer for more than 200 years.
Eating charred, well-done meat on a regular basis may increase your risk of pancreatic cancer by up to 60 percent, according to findings from a University of Minnesota study. Researchers, led by Kristin Anderson, PhD, associate professor and cancer epidemiologist with the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health and Masonic Cancer Center, surveyed the eating habits of more than 62,000 people, noting meat intake, preferred cooking methods, and doneness preferences. The study participants were then followed for average of nine years as part of the PLCO (Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian) screening trial. Over the nine-year period, the researchers found that people who preferred well-done meat — whether bacon, sausage, hamburger or steak — tended to have an increased risk of getting pancreatic cancer.
Healthier Grilling
Fortunately, you can take steps to reduce these risks. American Cancer Society nutrition expert Colleen Doyle outlines how to make your barbecued meal a healthy one: Choose lean cuts of meat and trim any excess fat. Fat dripping onto hot coals causes smoke that contains potential carcinogens. Less fat means less smoke. Line the grill with foil and poke small holes in it so the fat can still drip off, but the amount of smoke coming back onto the meat is lower. Avoid charring meat or eating parts that are especially burned and black — they have the highest concentrations of HAs. Experts recommend that foods be cooked at lower temperatures, even if it means cooking longer. The goal is to prevent charring the meat. You can do this on a charcoal grill by allowing the flames to go down after lighting. On a gas grill, try raising the grill rack, away from the heat. Using skewers is also an excellent way to limit the amount of grilled meat consumed during a meal. Small pieces of meat, combined with fresh fruits and vegetables on the grill make for an attractive and delicious meal.
Add colorful vegetables and fruit to the grill. Many of the chemicals that are created when meat is grilled are not formed during the grilling of vegetables or fruits, so you can enjoy grilled flavor worry-free. Red, yellow and green peppers, yellow squash, mushrooms, red onions and pineapple all grill well and make healthy additions to your plate.
If you love that well-done flavor, use aluminum foil to create a barrier between hot coals (or gas flame) and the meats you-re cooking. Or simply increase the distance between the grill surface and heat source. Both approaches reduce the charring that can create harmful HAs.
Doyle also advises people to make a mental adjustment about barbecues. Instead of treating meat as the main attraction, view it as a side dish. Many of the chemicals created when meat is grilled (i.e., burned) are not formed during the grilling of vegetables or fruits. Keep in mind that grilling occasionally appears to be okay. Just like everything in life, moderation is key.
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
