In case there isn’t enough to worry about with E. coli O157:H7 tainted meats and Salmonella infected vegetables, now some researchers are suggesting there may be a link between grilling and cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
The problem seems to be compounds known as heterocyclic amines and advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which are both by-products of grilling meats and both contain carcinogens. The longer the meat is cooked and the higher the temperature, the higher the concentration of these compounds.
I saw an interesting write-up in Diet & Nutrition magazine about this topic in this month’s issue. Although no definitive cancer link has been discovered, their researchers suggest using lean cuts of meat, avoiding “flare ups”, and marinating meats before grilling. These steps seem to reduce risk.
Of course when grilling or preparing any meat, an abundance of caution is needed. There may not be a definitive link between grilling meat and cancer, but there certainly is a definitive link between meat tainted with foodborne pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella and devastating illnesses like hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and sepsis.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2010
