Eating barbecue is popular all year round, especially in autumn when the weather is cool. However, many people worry about the potential health risks, such as carcinogens and skin health issues, associated with eating barbecue. The real concern lies in the carcinogens and pro-inflammatory substances produced during the charcoal grilling process. So, how can we reduce the carcinogens in grilled meat or minimize their harm?
Charcoal Grilling Produces Two Types of Carcinogens
Fat in charcoal grilling produces polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while protein produces heterocyclic amines (HCAs) when overheated. It’s hard to avoid localized overheating and the subsequent production of carcinogens in charcoal or open-flame grilling.
Even frying or pan-frying can produce these two types of carcinogens. Comparatively, using a microwave or an electric oven for grilling significantly reduces carcinogen levels because the oven can control the temperature. As long as the food’s temperature is kept below 200°C, the amount of carcinogens produced is minimal.
Typically, if the oven temperature is set to 200°C and the cooked product is promptly removed, the actual heating temperature of the meat won’t reach 200°C due to moisture evaporation, which cools the meat’s surface, and the internal temperature of the meat will be even lower. Therefore, grilling meat skewers at home in the oven is relatively safe.
However, many people prefer charcoal grilling for the taste, believing the smoky flavor from dripping fat on charcoal is essential to barbecue’s deliciousness.
The Maillard Reaction: Tasty but Troublesome
Grilling and frying foods produce many pro-inflammatory substances, which are very unfriendly to the skin, promoting acne and worsening various skin and mucous membrane inflammations. The enticing aroma of grilled and fried foods comes from the Maillard reaction, producing many flavorful compounds. However, a strong Maillard reaction also generates many advanced glycation end products (AGEs).
Research confirms that different cooking methods produce varying amounts of AGEs: frying/grilling > oven roasting > stewing > fresh food. For example, fresh chicken contains almost no AGEs before cooking, but the levels rise significantly in roasted chicken, even more in fried chicken, and are extremely high in grilled or fried chicken skin.
Excessive AGEs can lead to several health problems: inducing insulin resistance, activating oxidases, generating free radicals, promoting inflammatory responses, inducing cell apoptosis, and reducing energy production, all contributing to skin aging.
PAHs and HCAs are also pro-inflammatory substances, along with acrylamide from the Maillard reaction and the additional influence of AGEs, posing significant health risks.
Studies confirm that the accumulation of AGEs in the skin is related to human aging and the risk of various chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, vascular sclerosis, neurological disease complications, and osteoarthritis.
Spices Can Inhibit the Formation of Carcinogens in Grilled Meat
To reduce carcinogen formation while maintaining flavor, the preparation method can be adjusted. Although changing the grilling or frying technique may be difficult, the marination and ingredient composition can be modified.
Researchers have found that adding spices to meat can partially inhibit the excessive formation of HCAs during grilling. These spices include fresh ones like green onions, ginger, garlic, onions, and fresh chili peppers, as well as dried spices like Sichuan pepper, black pepper, dried chili, bay leaves, rosemary, cumin, etc. These spices are highly antioxidant, reducing carcinogen formation and mutagenic effects while aiding digestion by increasing gastric acid and intestinal fluid secretion.
Studies show that adding spices to beef patties can significantly reduce HCA production after frying. For instance, adding 1.5% Sichuan pepper, 1.5% dried chili, or 1% ginger can reduce HCA formation by 77%, 67%, and 67%, respectively. Garlic and onion are less effective, requiring 5% and 9% additions to achieve 61% and 48% inhibition, respectively.
Other studies have explored the inhibition of HCA formation in grilled beef patties by spices like galangal, bay leaves, and Sichuan pepper. Foreign studies have long found that adding rosemary, basil, garlic juice, and ginger juice helps reduce carcinogen formation in grilled foods.
Restaurants can reduce harmful substance effects by offering complementary foods, like advising customers to wrap grilled meat in perilla leaves or lettuce, eat it with salad, or season it with tomato sauce or lemon juice.
Five Health Tips for Barbecue Lovers
- Set Rules: Limit barbecue to once or twice a month and fried foods to two or three times a month, not as regular late-night snacks or dinners.
- Reduce Quantity: Instead of eating multiple skewers, limit to one skewer to satisfy the craving.
- Food Substitution: Replace charcoal-grilled foods with oven-grilled ones, and fried meat with stewed meat.
- Pair with Anti-inflammatory Foods and Drinks: Include foods and drinks rich in anti-inflammatory components like polyphenols, carotenoids, active polysaccharides, and soluble dietary fiber. Examples are dark green and orange vegetables, orange and blue-purple fruits, mushrooms, wood ear fungus, mung bean soup, black bean soup, green tea, and chrysanthemum tea.
- Eat Light: After a meal with these foods, eat light for the next day or two, with less meat, less greasy food, and more whole grains, beans, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Healthy eating doesn’t mean completely avoiding tasty but unhealthy foods but controlling their quantity and frequency and making reasonable dietary choices to minimize their impact on health.
