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Senior Citizen Alerts
Tips for Senior Citizens to Make Backyard Grilling
Safer from Cancer
Only meat cooked on grill form cancer-causing
chemicals - other foods pose no risk
 Aug. 3, 2007 – It is those in the senior citizen
generation that are probably the most accustomed to grilling hamburgers,
hot dogs and chicken over a gray charcoal fire. No one told us as young
adults fixing these backyard feasts that we were increasing the risk of
cancer for our families. But, we were. There are, however, ways to make
grilling safer.
“Grilling is a low-fat method of cooking,” says
Elizabeth Schaub, registered and licensed dietitian on the medical staff
at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano.
“But we have to be aware that it can increase our
risk of cancer if we eat grilled meats too often.”
It’s true - those juicy burgers, especially the
charred ones, can contain cancer-causing carcinogens.
“When you grill meat some of the fat does drip down
on to the charcoal and when fat meets that really high temperature it
develops a carcinogen and the smoke carries the carcinogen back up to
the meat which can be dangerous for our bodies,” explains Schaub.
But there are some ways to grill safer. One is to
simply avoid burning or searing meats. Cooking food longer at lower
temperatures is best.
"To also cut down on carcinogens you can decrease
the amount of time that the food is actually on the grill,” adds Schaub.
“Precook the meat in either the oven or the
microwave then finish it up on the grill just to give it a little bit of
crispness and a little bit of flavor.”
Another tip is to choose leaner cuts.
“Skinless chicken or lean beef or pork,” suggests
Schaub. “Decreasing the amount of fat that’s able to drip down onto the
coals also will decrease your carcinogens.”
And finally, remember that just meat cooked on the
grill can form cancer-causing chemicals - other foods pose no risk.
“You really don’t get carcinogen development when
you grill fruits and vegetables and those can be a nice, flavorful
accompaniment to a low-fat piece of meat for a meal,” adds Schaub.
What about fish? Can it too develop carcinogens on
the grill? Experts say ‘yes,’ red meat, chicken, fish - anything that
contains protein can develop carcinogens.
So remember - don’t char your meat and lower the
temperature of your grill. Also, cutting meats up and skewering them can
cut down on their time on the grill meaning less carcinogens. And
finally, flipping foods frequently can help prevent the chemicals from
forming.
For more information about Baylor Regional Medical
Center at Plano, visit
http://www.BaylorHealth.com.
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