Grilled Food and PAHs
Your Grilled Summer Favorites May Not Be So Good For You
Even with the bad news about what may be in our favorite grilled foods, there are ways to minimize the damage done by the harmful substances referred to as PAHs.
The cookout season is officially upon us! Balmy days, warmer evenings and long weekends call for firing up the grill. Before you light that charcoal and blacken your burger, there are a few things you might want to consider.
Unwanted Ingredient
When you deck your meat out for the barbeque you may be adding some garlic powder, a little onion, dashes of cayenne or a host of other spices or flavorings. The last thing you would probably ever consider is adding more PAHs, but if you like your meat blackened or slightly overcooked, that is exactly what you’re doing.
PAH stands for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. PAHs have been classified as cancer causing agents by various organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA, we are exposed to PAHs through breathing air contaminated by wild fire or coal OR eating meat or foods that have been grilled.
Damage Control
So, what is a burnt hot dog lover to do? Will your enjoyment of summer barbeque fare be ruined now that you are aware of this information? It doesn’t have to be. While you may want to limit your intake of burnt or charred foods, when you DO eat them, there are ways to counteract their negative effects on your body.
- Pre-cook. Meats that are precooked in a microwave, or parboiled on a stove (such as chicken wings) have a shorter grilling time, thus limiting the risk of producing or increasing the PAHs in the meat. In fact, the American Istitute for Cancer Research recommends this process to cancer survivors that insist on grilled meat, along with the next tip.
- Cut all visible fat from meat. Not only have diets high in fat been suspected of being precursors to cancer, but when grilling meat, as the fat drips on to the coals or flame, it causes a heat and flame flare up, which quickly blackens the meat.
- Add raw veggies to your meal. Not only do they add color and taste, but raw vegetables are loaded with carotenoids and other phytochemicals that are noted for their anti-cancer properties. Everyone loves some peppers and onions with their burgers, or make a large green salad filled with broccoli crowns, mushrooms and tomatoes, all of which have been proven in studies to fight free radicals that can cause cancer.
You may be one of the millions of people who hear a new nutritional warning and say “Who cares? I want to die happy.” Life is about balance. If you insist on eating that burger grilled or charred, then balance that questionable decision with a wiser one. Take one of the recommended precautions noted above to minimize the PHAs in your food, or add other nutritious food choices to your diet.
