FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN
By John C. Wolf, D.O.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine®
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

CHERRIES, VITAMIN E CAN REDUCE CANCER RISK OF GRILLED MEAT

Question: I heard that grilled meat causes cancer. Is this true? It is important because we grill quite a lot of our meals in the summer.

Answer: It is often difficult to measure the risk of an activity when the detrimental end result occurs years later. The increased risk of skin cancer caused by sunburn is a good example as is the heart disease and cancer risk associated with smoking tobacco. It took years of careful research to show the long-term consequences of these behaviors. Eating grilled meat may or may not ultimately be proven to be a cancer risk. At this moment there isn't enough research data to say for sure. I'll try to explain the reason some scientists are concerned.

Cancer is a common malady of humans that is linked to a number of genetic and environmental factors. Some experts suggest that eating grilled meat may increase the risk of cancer, particularly colon and breast cancers. Current research suggests that this risk comes about because of the chemical changes that can -- but do not always -- occur with cooking protein and sugar rich foods of animal origin. The free amino acids and monosaccharides that are found in meats are converted into complex chemicals called "heterocyclic aromatic amines" and "polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons" when the cooking temperatures are high enough and of sufficient duration. From now on, I'll just call these tongue twisters HAA and PAH, respectively. It is known that both HAA and PAH can cause breast and colon cancer in laboratory animals, and higher levels produce cancer more often. The reason for concern is that the levels of these chemicals produced by cooking are greater than the lowest amount that caused increased cancer risk in the animal studies. The data from these studies, however, is not strong enough to prove this connection in humans.

The way in which meat is cooked determines the amount of HAA and PAH that are produced. Well done meat, particularly with a charred exterior, is most likely to have high levels. Conversely, a quickly seared burger or steak that is then finished at a lower temperature may have very little HAA and PAH. This is true for fried meat as well as those cooked on the grill. An apparent solution to this cancer risk would be to eat your meat "rare." Unfortunately, this solution increases the risk of food poisoning from bacterial contamination. A better solution is to quickly sear your meat, and then, reduce the temperature to a more moderate level. You should then use a meat thermometer to avoid over-cooking your dinner. Another solution may be to use ground meat that has been blended with fruit. Using ground cherries to make 11.5 percent of the weight of your burger will reduce the HAA level to 10 percent of an unadulterated one. Marinating the meat overnight in a vinegar-oil-sugar (and spices, of course) blend works just as well as adding cherries. Even adding a bit of vitamin E before you grill that burger or chicken breast can help reduce the HAA levels. One simple and effective solution is to pre-cook your meat in the microwave and finish it on the grill.

So should you be afraid to eat grilled meat? The data isn't sufficient to make me throw my grill away, but I will avoid making any "burnt offerings" for dinner.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Grosvenor Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701.