The weather is getting warmer, and the smell of people grilling is starting to fill the evening air.
ADVERTISEMENT
A favorite way of cooking meat in the summer might be bad for you — here's how to do it right
Here's how to maximize your grill skills while limiting your exposure to carcinogens caused by high temperatures.
ADVERTISEMENT
Recommended articles
And while that cooking method does produce a delicious, smoky flavor for the meat, it's also potentially increasing your risk of certain kinds of cancer.
In April 2016 , the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) looked at factors that have a relationship to stomach cancer.
In that report, they found in particular that three factors were linked with a higher-than-average risk of developing stomach cancer: a high body fat percentage, a high alcohol intake, and a high intake of processed meats.
ADVERTISEMENT
That means that while the average risk for stomach cancer for most people remains fairly low, it may be somewhat higher in people who can check off all of these factors.
And while the evidence is still limited, some research suggests that grilled or barbecued meats may be especially unhealthy. One reason?
Cooking meat at high temperatures, which is what you do when you grill something, can lead to the formation of substances called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute, these substances may be carcinogenic; severalstudies have documented this link.
"Smoking or charring meat also contributes to the formation of PAHs," AICR's head of nutrition Alice Bender said in a 2016 release.
That's not to say though that you have to ditch grilling entirely, just that there are some steps you can take to avoid having your meat on high temperatures for such a long time.
ADVERTISEMENT
Instead, the AICR suggests:
FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA
ADVERTISEMENT
Recommended articles
Top cross-border payment companies in Africa on recent global ranking
Studio Monkey in collaboration with Worldwide FM and Gilles Peterson launches initiative to support grassroot music communities
NexaScale marks one-year milestone with visionary initiatives empowering Africa's youth for the future of work
How Patrice Motsepe-backed GoSolr wants to solve South Africa's power crises
Harsh words for the World Bank from Uganda’s president at the meeting of African leaders
The artificial intelligence boom is real: why are more and more companies incorporating it into their operations?
The US and Uganda partner to combat a deadly enemy
See why ice is now pricier than bread and milk in this African country
