There are three hidden dangers to grilling. People rarely hear anything about these dangers, but it is important to know what they are a why they are dangerous or how they can be harmful.
1. HETEROCYCLIC AMINES (HCAs)
2. POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHs)
3. ADVANCED GLYCATION END PRODUCTS (AGEs)
Each of these work in different ways, but they are produced by grilling (and some are produced by other cooking methods as well,) and they post a far greater health risk than most of us realize, or probably want to realize.
HETEROCYCLIC AMINES (HCAs)
HCAs form in the muscle of meat, fish or poultry when it is cooked at high temperatures. The high heat of the grill interacts with the proteins in chicken, fish, red or any other type of meat to create the HCAs.
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHs)
PAH's are created when the juices or fat from the meat, fish or poultry drips down into the grill, touching the coals, the heat source, or directly onto fire. The liquid produces a huge amount of smoke that forces hydrocarbons that were produced by the liquid to rise, and they adhere to the meat as part of the cooking process. When food is cooked to the point where there is charring, these hydrocarbons don't just coat the meat; they are embedded in the meat.
ADVANCED GLYCATION END PRODUCTS (AGEs)
Grilling (and frying or microwaving,) causes the cooking process to react with natural fats and sugars that are present in meat. The interaction of all of these factors creates AGEs. This happens with most meats, but to a greater degree with meats that have already been smoked or cured.
AGEs form when very hot and dry heat comes into contact with meat, fish or poultry and causes the naturally occurring fats and sugars to break down into protein molecules. When the molecules shrivel up, they turn black or brown, producing the grill marks we see on grilled foods. (They also cause the breading on fried chicken to get crispy, and the crust on breads to get brown and crisp.)
WAYS TO REDUCE HCAs AND PAHs TO DECREASE DANGERS -
*Marinate meat, fish, protein and other foods to create a protective barrier against the heat.
*When cooking meats, look for the leanest cuts available. Remove skin from chicken and fish, and trim the fat from meat. The less fat there is, the less can drip into the heat.
*Opt to cook fish rather than meat or chicken. Fish cooks much faster, and the faster the food cooks, the less exposure it has to these potentially hazardous compounds.
*Never cook frozen meat directly on a grill. When it is put on the grill in its frozen state, it gets direct exposure from the heat source, and it takes much longer to cook, prolonging the length of exposure.
*Precook meat before grilling it. You don't have to cook it completely. Just cook it enough to cook fat off. This way, you'll prevent fat from dripping onto the heat.
*Avoid grilling foods on very high heat. The higher the heat, the greater the potential for flareups, and flareups can blacken the food or produce smoke that is caused by dripping liquid onto the heat, the coals or the fire.
*Don't ever let the meat get charred. The more charred it is, the more hydrocarbons and AGEs you are ingesting.
*Do anything possible to reduce direct smoke exposure. Move the food further away from the heat, use a spit, cover the grill grate with foil.
*Put a layer of foil between the coals and the meat. This will prevent the liquid from dripping directly onto the coals or the heat, minimizing the potential for flareups.
No one will willingly abandon the pleasure of grilling. It may be worth one's effort to take precautions to minimize the potential that these cancer causing agents will have as much contact with the meat. Another way to help oneself is to cook the meat to medium rare as opposed to medium or medium well. The longer the meat has contact with the grill, the more of these compounds it can absorb. Make sure that the meat can't get totally blackened, and if necessary, create greater distance between the heat and the food.
source: helium
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