Healthy Grilling: What You Need to Know

Posted on Jul 19th 2010 11:00AM by Jonny Bowden

Getty Images

Grilling season is in full swing as summer temperatures continue to linger in the 90s and into triple digits. While the grill can be a great way to cut calories, by simply preparing vegetables, fish and meat -- there is a down side to tossing the steak over the coals. Research over the last decade has shown that cooking meat on a grill has some potential dangers. Luckily these dangers can be minimized if you know what you're doing.

Here's the problem. There are two carcinogenic (cancer-causing) compounds that can be created by barbecuing at high heat. Heterocyclic amines (HCAs) are formed when meat is either over-cooked or char-broiled. HCAs have been shown to contribute to cancer in animals-- the Department of Health and Human Services includes HCAs on its list of chemicals "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen."

The second type of carcinogens associated with grilling are called PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). They are formed when fat drips from the meat onto the hot surface of the grills and forms a smoke which is carried back up onto the food. PAHs can also form on food directly whenever it's charred or blackened.

So do you have to give up grilling? Not at all. You can easily minimize the dangers of barbecuing by following these seven easy steps:

1) Don't' use too high a flame. Keep the heat lower and flip the meat frequently (like every minute) to prevent overdoing it on one side.

2) Forgo "blackened" (like blackened catfish) or very well-done meats.

3) Trim the fat, which will reduce the fat drippings and the resultant smoke.

4) Choose thinner cuts of meat- they don't require as much cooking time.

5) Shorten grill time and get the meat off the grill as soon as possible.

6) Consider "pre-cooking" -- either in a saute pan or the oven. This will also cut down on the time the meat spends on the hot grill.

7) Marinade. Research published in the Journal of Food Science found that marinading meats (or pork or chicken) can reduce the HCAs by as much as 70 percent. Marinades with lots of spices (which contain antioxidants) are particularly good.

It's also a good idea to include lots of vegetables on the grill -- they're not subject to HCA or PAH formation, and they provide lots of antioxidants to help protect your cells and DNA from damage. And always keep the grease and oil off your grill!

Jonny Bowden, author, nutritionist and weight loss coach cuts through all the misconceptions about diet and fitness to help you transform your body, your health and your life. Visit his Web site to learn more.

19 Comment

Tags: bbq, grilled meat, grilling, HCA, healthy grilling, jonny-bowden, jonnys-take, meat, PAH

Around the Web

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Kathi 7-19-2010 @ 8:21PM

Do the same dangers exist with a gas grill?

leaf 7-21-2010 @ 4:54AM

Another knee jerk reseach! fat is what makes meat taste so good on the grill, If you want to cook a shoe leather for dinner go lean. It's been researched that reading this tripe can cause brain damage.

fred 7-20-2010 @ 8:18PM

Grilling meat is best done on high heat, grilling on lower temperatures and frequently turning is a big no-no as it dries out the meat. Lean meats are very tough and chewy when grilled, the best grilling meats are always marbled with fat.

joel 7-20-2010 @ 10:01PM

Sorry to desappoint you , IT IS NOT TRUE , heat should be adjusted in relation to the thickness of the meat you are cooking , the thinest high heat thick lower heat , but what the hell I am talking about , I have only been in the trade for 40 years and at my best days , I turned down 5 figures salaries for cooking .......

joel 7-20-2010 @ 9:13PM

Meat should be also turned as soon as there is a good marking on it the again at angle and again the other size , so you have diamonds mark, the length is all relative to how you want the meat cook , by the way I am recipient of 5 Stars Mobil and 5 diamonds AAA the highest quality award in the USA .

PZ 7-20-2010 @ 9:25PM

Well said Fred, you never want to flip your meat more than 1 or 2 times, the less the better. As far as heat, that is debatable, but next time I'm cooking a 1.5 inch NY Strip I will lower the heat and see what occurs. Then again I like my steaks rare to mid rare...

joel 7-20-2010 @ 9:25PM

Without knowing it the author of this article actually gave everyone the perfect recipe for perfect barbecue .

grillmaster 7-21-2010 @ 7:48AM

if you want no taste, flavor or life, this is a great article. ive been cooking 90 % of my meals on a grill for at least 10 years now. this is total BS. eat what u like and live ur life the way u want. these studies are just stupid.

Jim 7-21-2010 @ 1:25PM

Jonny needs to attend culinary school before he writes on this subject. "Blackened" dishes bear no reference to doneness or cooking method. A "blackened" dish refers to a method of seasoning, often crusted, commonly found in cajun and creole cooking.

Joel 7-20-2010 @ 9:19PM

Ok let's be realistic here, everything we do is dangerous , everything we eat is also toxic , this include vegetables , what one has to keep in mind is how often you are eating like that twice a day once aday , once a week ? how many times a years ? for mostr peoples it does not make a difference , by the way they also found that camenbert was cancerous that is if you eat around 500 lbs a week , I do not know anyone that can eat 500 lbs of cheese a week , This is where all these darn warning are flawed.

fred 7-20-2010 @ 9:28PM

Joel you are wrong and the only 5 figure salary you might have been offered was $10,000. In case you can't do the math thats less than $200. per week.

joel 7-20-2010 @ 10:15PM

Fred $160 000 tavern on the green NY NY 1984 and told them no when is the last time you ever cooked as profession and peoples actually ask you to come and work for them , I have done it on 3 continents and I know what I am talking about track record of 44 years , you are a back yard super bowl cook meaning the only time you ever done it is with a bottle of .... in the other hand to show off. flipping a steak or any kingd of meat never dried it out but distribute the heat. Don't talk about cooking it is my life and a darn good one at it .

ron 7-20-2010 @ 9:54PM

Why even use a friggin grill?

kbaredge 7-20-2010 @ 10:16PM

Hmmmmm.Your options, please.

kbaredge 7-20-2010 @ 10:21PM

Another great way to cook on the grill is indirect heat. But forget the cancer crap, just enjoy that juicy steak and party!

JOHN UNKLE 7-20-2010 @ 10:30PM

Another person or persons trying to tell me what I should or not eat take a clue from me MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS!!

Carole 7-20-2010 @ 11:06PM

I grew up in the fifties. My mother would not bbq. Her reason was that any type of blackening be it toast or meat on a grill over hot coals could cause cancer. She said the high heat mutated the cellular molecules that could be cancerous. She said the resulting smoke from "burning" the food was an indication of the cells becoming mutated thus inedible. Wow was she smart. We never ate anything that went through that type of grilling, baking, frying roasting or toasting. Gee finally after sixty years the scientific community agrees with her at least regarding the grilling. No one in our family has ever had cancer other than sun cancer caused by the skin being burned by the sun................

Doug 7-21-2010 @ 12:45AM

What won't kill us? We are all guing to die sometime might as well eat things you like. as for me, poke holes in a one inch thick ribeye marinaded in "Lawry's beef marinade" for 15 to 20 minutes,put on a grill that's about 400 degrees for four minutes on each side, and you can cut the meat with a fork. Works every time. I am not a cook.