Cooking This Way May Cause This Killer!
Avoid doing this if you want to decrease risk of certain cancers!
According to several studies, how meat is prepared and cooked has an impact on how much the meat increases colon and kidney cancer risk. The higher the temperature at which the meat is cooked, and the more well-done the meat is, the more likely it is to increase cancer risk.
Cooking meat at high temperatures until very well-done creates carcinogens (cancer-causing compounds). More well-done meat contains higher levels of carcinogens, called heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) than less well-done meat.
HAAs and PAHs are formed when the protein and/or fat in the meat gets very hot. Think of the black, char-grilled exterior that a piece of grilled meat can have. This is a source of carcinogens, the chemicals that can increase colon cancer risk.
How Much is Too Much?
To put the “how much” question about meat and colon cancer risk into perspective, keep in mind:
- When studying diet and colon cancer, health experts have found that people regularly eating the most red meat have up to 50% greater colon cancer risk compared with people eating the least red meat.
- Eating more than 3-5 ounces of meat per day significantly increases the risk of death from any cause, including death due to colon cancer, other cancers, and heart disease.
- Eating more than an ounce and a half of processed meat per day, such as hot dogs or deli meat, significantly increases the risk of death due to colon cancer, other cancers, and heart disease.
- A 3-ounce serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards. Simply eating a roast beef sandwich for lunch and a burger or hot dog for dinner will put you over the daily limit for meat intake that research tells us will increase your risk of colon cancer, other cancers, heart disease, and death.
Meat , eat in Moderation and Cook Properly…
If you enjoy meat, but want to keep your risk for colon and other cancers in check:
- Cooking Slow & Low. Even if two pieces of meat are cooked to the same “level of done-ness”, the one that was cooked at a lower temperature for longer will contain fewer carcinogenic (cancer-causing) compounds than meat that is cooked very hot and fast. DO NOT CHAR!!
- Raise the Flavor with Spices and Herbs. Marinate your meat in mixtures that contain spices and herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, fennel, or anything you enjoy. Marinating meat in spice and herb mixtures actually reduces the amount of carcinogens that are formed during cooking!
- Use the Right Tools. When grilling, use tongs to flip the meat rather than a fork. Piercing the meat causes fat and juices to drip onto the coals. This, in turn, causes the formation of carcinogens that coat the meat when smoke rises back up from the grill.
- Cook with Plants. You can heat up vegetables, fruit, or any other plant-based food as hot as you want. This does not create the hazardous compounds that are formed when meat is cooked. Try kabobs with plenty of vegetables on them.
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