Healthy Bits and Bites

Barbecue with marinades to cut cancer risk.

One of the signs of Summer is the smell of barbecuing.  The good news is you can have your steak and eat it too without producing a lot of cancer-causing compounds.

When meats are cooked at high temperature, such as grilling, amino acids and creatinine in animal muscle react to form cancer-causing compounds known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs).  Research has discovered that the formation of these compounds can be reduced by more that 80 percent by marinating meats in blends of antioxidant-rich herbs.

"If you are concerned about carcinogens, marinating a product, and this would be any kind of muscle food product, is a good way to dramaticlly reduce the formation of HCAs," says J. Scott Smith, a professor of food science at Kansas State University.  "The marinades would have to be rich in spices, however."

Marinades not only make foods safer to eat, they also add lots of flavour and help tenderize meat.

Be creative with your next barbecue and add herbs.  Some of the most potent herbs and liquids to prevent the formation of HCAs include:

• garlic
• turmeric
• rosemary
• soy sauce
• oregano
• balsamic vinegar
• diluted Zambroza as a substitute for wine
• tomato juice
• fruits and fruit juices

Happy Grilling!!

source: The Washington Post, August 22, 2008