Memo to Memorial Day barbecuers: Charred meat is out. Hot dogs
and brats? Forget it.
It's hard to imagine a summer weekend without the aroma of meat
on the grill, but the American Institute of Cancer Research is
urging everyone to rethink this all-American pastime.
Grilling any meat red, white or fish produces potent
carcinogens, the institute said after analyzing the results of 7,000
studies.
"Grill fruits and vegetables instead of red meat and hot dogs
this year," the institute advised.
If real men can learn to eat quiche, maybe they'll also come to
love grilled peaches.
The high heat of grilling reacts with proteins in red meat,
poultry and fish, creating heterocyclic amines, chemicals that are
linked to cancer. Another form of cancer-causing agents, polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons, are found in the smoke created when fat and
juices from meats drip and hit the heat source. The smoke rises and
can stick to the meat.
"When you hit the amino acids in those meats with very high heat,
it creates heterocyclic amines that's what they consider
carcinogenic," says Debbie Bessen, a registered dietitian
specializing in cancer nutrition at Holy Name Hospital.
"I do try to steer people away from grilled meats," says Maureen
Huhmann, a clinical dietitian at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
in New Brunswick and an assistant professor at the University of
Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey's School of Health Related
Professions.
"Keep them to a once-in-a-while thing," she says. "And if you are
having something grilled, make sure it's not burnt or blackened."
Both gas and charcoal grilling has the same effect. Cooking
inside on a stove - whether in a frying pan, a grill pan or in the
oven - is not known to cause the same reactions, because the meats
cook at far lower temperatures. Some experts, however, suggest
against charring a steak on high heat in the broiler.
The doctors at the institute, frankly, are advising that
Americans need to cut down on many forms of meat however they are
cooked.
The institute took particular aim at preserved meats, such as hot
dogs. All processed meats hot dogs, sausages, bacon, ham, pastrami,
salami and any meat that has been salted, smoked or cured are bad
for you, it said. Chemicals used to preserve meat increase the
production of cancer-causing compounds in the body.
The institute's report said it "could find no amount of processed
meat that is safe to eat."
Red meat is also linked to higher rates of certain cancers, the
institute said. It should be eaten in limited quantities not more
than 18 ounces a week or the equivalent of about three restaurant-
sized burgers for the entire week. Substances in red meat can damage
the lining of the colon.
"The evidence is now overwhelming that red meat - especially
processed red meats like hot dogs - is a cause of colorectal
cancer," said Karen Collins, the institutes' nutrition advisor.
The evidence is so strong, the institute said, it "should prompt
a nationwide reduction in red-meat consumption."
Turkey burgers and chicken hot dogs don't get a pass, either.
It's not clear whether it's the processing or the grilling that
produces the carcinogens, so more research is needed, the
institute's guidelines said.
Other health groups, including the American Cancer Society, also
recommend reducing consumption of preserved meats, and using
alternatives to the high heat of the grill to cook meats.
The bottom line of most experts: cover two-thirds of your plate
with plant foods like salads, beans, and grains. Leave just one-
third of the plate for meat.
That's not something most people want to hear.
"Anything you enjoy, they take away from you," said Ann Cervia,
who, along with her son, Ray Cervia, is holding a barbecue for 10
family members in Bogota on Monday. They just bought a new grill for
the event.
The health warnings can't make her take sausage and peppers off
the menu. "If you're going to go, you're going to go," she said.
Hector Maldonado of Bogota will be grilling for 20 on Sunday.
"I don't eat grilled meat that much obviously, this weekend
maybe three or four barbecues a year," said Maldonado, a 26-year-
old plumber who recently bought a new propane grill.
Marianne Bolduc of Demarest, who underwent treatment for breast
cancer last year and is the lunch-program coordinator for her town's
public schools, said she takes the guidelines "very seriously."
"I love hot dogs," she said. "I have to fight the urge."
She treats herself once a month "one hot dog with preservatives
is not going to kill you," she said.
But it's also true that she could "go to a barbecue and not eat
meat," she says. "In Italian families, meat is not that big a deal.
We put out a lot of salads instead, dressed with oil and vinegar."
And when she hosts, she'll offer veggie burgers as well as grilled
vegetables.
As for the nutritionists, Bessen isn't even going to a barbecue
this Memorial Day weekend:
"I'm going to the beach," where she'll use sunscreen, of course.
Cutting the risk
To keep the taste and cut the risk, experts offer these
recommendations:
* Minimize grill time. Microwave meat or pre-cook in the oven
before putting it on the grill. Flip burgers at least once a minute.
* When using marinades, thinner is better. Thicker marinades have
a tendency to char, possibly increasing exposure to carcinogenic
compounds. Look for marinades that contain vinegar and/or lemon,
which can create a protective coating around the meat.
* Create a barrier to prevent juices from spilling and producing
harmful smoke. Line the grill with aluminum foil that has holes
poked in it or cook on cedar planks.
* Don't eat blackened or burned meat.
* Choose smaller cuts such as kabobs they take less time to
cook.
* Lean meats create less dripping, less fat flare-ups and less
smoke. Trim excess fat and remove skin from poultry.
* Avoid hot dogs and other processed meats.
* Place food at least six inches away from the heat source.
Source: Debbie Bessen of Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck, Dana-
Farber Cancer Institute
Staff Writer Bob Groves contributed to this report. E-mail:
washburn@northjersey.com
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