Grilling Your Food May Not Be As Healthy As You Think

read about the health risks associated with grilled foodThe warm weather is here. Memorial Day has come and gone. All around the country, folks are firing up their grills and cooking some delicious meals. Whether it’s burgers and dogs, a juicy steak or tender chicken that’s been marinating all day, everyone loves a good cookout. However, that charbroiled goodness might come at a cost to your health.



Grilling (particularly charring) of meat also forms heterocyclic amines (HCAs). HCAs are formed when amino acids and creatine (a chemical found in muscles) react at high cooking temperatures. Some HCAs are known carcinogens. Research at the United States National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer and Epidemiology and Genetics found a link between individuals with stomach cancer and the consumption of cooked meat. People who ate medium-well or well-done beef were more than three times as likely to suffer stomach cancer as those who ate rare or medium-rare beef.
