Nutrition Grilling produces carcinogens – There are three ways to reduce them significantly

The amount of carcinogens formed in food during grilling varies significantly depending on what and how is grilled.

Sausagesteaks, marinated ribs and meatballs… What would a Finnish summer be without grilling food in the heat of gas or charcoal?

At least a little healthier, because grilling produces carcinogens in the food. PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and HCAs (heterocyclic amines) are known to cause mutations in cellular inheritance and thus increase the risk of cancer.

Hardly anyone gets cancer from grilling sausages once a summer, but what if grilling once or twice every weekend in the summer? Even scientists do not know how big the risk is.

“The amount of carcinogens formed in food during grilling varies significantly depending on what and how is grilled. Therefore, we cannot say which amount of grilling would be safe and which would not, ”says the specialist researcher Sanna Heikkinen The Finnish Cancer Registry says.

“The same is likely to be true for many other carcinogenic things – the more you are exposed, the greater the risk. Even a reasonable amount of grilled food is likely to increase the risk of cancer and high consumption even more. ”

The overall picture evaluation is hampered by the fact that harmful compounds from food grilling are only one part of the summer holiday carcinogen load. In the early summer, particularly strong ultraviolet radiation from the sun, increased consumption of sausage, tobacco smoke or other smoke, and alcohol in food drinks also increase the risk of cancer.

Harmful compounds generated during food grilling are only one part of the summer vacationer’s carcinogen load.

The saving factor is the shortness of the summer. In warmer countries, where food is prepared on a charcoal or gas grill all year round, PAHs and HCAs are much higher.

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“In Finland, where the barbecue season is short, these compounds are only a small part of the whole. Grilling, therefore, cannot be described as a public health problem, and its complete cessation would probably not be reflected in cancer statistics. Some cases would be left out, but it is almost never possible to identify one specific cause of cancer at the individual level, ”says Heikkinen.

If its own carcinogenic load is questionable, at least in terms of grilling it can be affected. The formation of harmful compounds in the grill can be substantially reduced by knowing the mechanism by which carcinogenic compounds enter food.

PAHs are formed when fat from food flows into the grill, burns and smokes in the heat. They are also made when frying in a pan, but ani rarely fry meat or sausages in the kitchen at such high temperatures as when used for grilling. The charcoal grill should be allowed to pretend to be a decent charcoal and at least not put food on the grill while the flames are still burning from the charcoal.

“In this respect, a gas grill is a better option than a charcoal grill, because gas is usually grilled at significantly lower temperatures,” says Heikkinen.

The charcoal grill also smokes more, and standing in smoke is not good either. The food to be grilled has to be turned over often, so the chef can’t leave the grill very far, even if he wants to protect his lungs from the small particles in the smoke.

If you marinate the meat in oil, it is a good idea to pat the meat dry before putting it on the grill so that no extra fat is spilled into the fire.

The fatter stuff you put on the grill, the more PAHs are produced. Heikkinen advises choosing a less fatty sausage and cutting off any visible fat in the meat. Of course, the advice makes many summer people roll their eyes.

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If you marinate the meat in oil, it is a good idea to pat the meat dry before putting it on the grill so that no extra fat is spilled into the fire.

Many grills are already high in fat from previous grills. It is advisable to clean the grate thoroughly after each use, so that at least some of the carcinogens run off with the washing water.

PAHs enter the food with the smoke and adhere to the surface of the food. While care should be taken not to spill excess oil into a gas flame or hot coals, it is still advisable to marinate the meat in oil. The oil may protect the surface of the meat so that it is harder for the compounds floating in the smoke to stick to it.

Marinating grilled products can have other protective effects against carcinogens. According to some studies, the antioxidants in spices and herbs would significantly reduce the amount of carcinogens in food. In experiments at the Kansas Food Science Institute, the best carcinogens were peppers, especially black pepper, rosemary, and chives.

“There may be a reason for this, but the topic would require more research before it can be said that a certain herb would reduce the carcinogenicity of grilled food,” says Heikkinen.

Heikkinen urges you to grill with a good conscience, as long as not all of the summer’s dishes are prepared on the grill.

Hard heat also produces HCA compounds in barbecue delicacies. They occur when meat or fish are cooked over high heat or for a long time. Meat amino acids, sugars, and creatine react with each other at high temperatures, so grilling at lower temperatures also reduces the production of HCA compounds.

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Another way to avoid just HCA compounds is to grill vegetables. HCA compounds are hardly formed in plants because they do not contain creatine.

“Vegetables are good for health in many other ways, and a vegetarian diet can even reduce the risk of some cancers.”

Red and processed meats, such as sausages, themselves increase the risk of cancer, regardless of the cooking method. Better options include fish and chicken in addition to vegetables.

Since it is intended to charge the batteries in the summer and not stress every possible health risk, Heikkinen urges you to grill with a good conscience, as long as not all of the summer’s dishes are prepared on the grill.

Heikkinen sums up three more measures to significantly reduce the amount of carcinogens in grilled foods.

  1. Put more vegetables and less red meat or sausages on the grill.

  2. If any part of the food gets black, do not eat it.

  3. Do not smoke food, ie clean the grill and use moderate heat.

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