Zap BBQ Cancer Agents with BBQ Smarts
By Robert Latkany, MDEdited by Sarah Varney
June 29, 2009
Just about everyone loves barbecues. It’s a great way to spend time with family and friends in a relaxed setting. The Fourth of July is the unofficial start of barbecue season. It’s when the barbecuing gets serious. Ribs, burgers, marinated swordfish—it all tastes better on the Fourth.
Have fun grilling, but do marinate all meats and fish for at least an hour before they hit the barbecue. Why? Because according to research performed by Smith et al, you may prevent long term damage to your health. Unfortunately, there’s an unwelcome guest at any barbecue, including any red, white and blue bash. These guests are there but you can’t see them or taste them. They’re called heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These cancer-causing agents can be found on the surface, or even within overcooked grilled or barbecued meats.
You don’t need to marinate meat for very long in order to counteract these carcinogens. "I think 5 minutes is fine because it is a surface phenomenon. It doesn't have to be absorbed by the meat,” said Dr. J. Scott Smith, director of graduate programs at Kansas State University’s Food Science Institute in Manhattan, Kansas.
Do you like your meat well done? You might want to reconsider. The more well-done the steak or hamburger is after barbecuing, the higher the concentration of heterocyclic amines according to Louis et al. And Cotterchio et al determined that well-done red meat intake was associated with a higher chance of developing colorectal cancer. That’s not the only cancer risk: postmenopausal women who don’t eat many fruits and vegetables but do consume a lot of grilled, barbecued or smoked meats over their lifetime have a higher likelihood of developing breast cancer according to Steck et al.
For these meat lovers, marinade is a must. It’s the antioxidant properties of the spices used in most marinades that counteracts the heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. "The major component of most of these marinades is the spices in the ‘mint’ family. Spices like rosemary, marjoram, sage, thyme, spearmint are high in anti-oxidants,” adds Dr. Smith. It is the anti-oxidants in these marinades that make them counter the carcinogenic properties of grilled meats. They block the formation of heterocylcic amines, explains Smith.
Abandoning meat in favor of grilled vegetables might seems like a good solution. But Ryan et al determined that grilling vegetables greatly reduces their carotenoid bioavailability. The smarter solution? Use a store-bought marinade or try our Evidence Based Marinade recipe with your meats before you grill. Your Fourth of July barbecue will be a big success and you’ll be keeping your neighbors healthy without getting all preachy and superior. And that means the neighbor kid won’t tie firecrackers to your SUV’s bumper. It’s a win-win situation.
Evidence Based Diet: BBQ Marinade
(Marinate at least 5 minutes before grilling)
Rib Marinade (for 2 1/2 pounds of pork ribs)
Ingredients
1 cup of apple cider
¾ cup white vinegar
2 tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup
1 heaping tablespoon diced fresh oregano
1 heaping tablespoon diced fresh spearmint
½ teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of pepper
1 clove of garlic diced
1. Mix all ingredients in a large baking dish.
2. Make sure the ribs are covered with the marinade on all sides.
3. Marinate for at least 5 minutes. Marinate longer for enhanced flavor.
BBQ sauce (a delicious addition with extra antioxidants)
Ingredients
1 28 oz. can of tomato puree
1 cup light brown sugar
1/8 cup of salt
3 cloves diced garlic
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 heaping tablespoon diced fresh spearmint
½ teaspoon allspice
1 cinnamon stick
8 star anise
½ teaspoon black pepper
1. Heat garlic in canola oil on medium heat for 1 minute.
2. Add the puree and cook for 15 minutes on medium low heat stirring
occasionally.
3. Lower heat to low and add the rest of the ingredients and stir
occasionally.
4. Cook until desired thickness or about 45 more minutes.
5. Remove the cinnamon stick and the star anise and set aside to cool for
30 minutes.
6. Coat ribs or burgers five minutes before removing from grill.
Please read our legal disclaimer.
Write a comment
- Required fields are marked with *.
Bookmark with:
What are these?