Cooking with Carcinogens?

Researchers have found that cooking foods to the point of browning or charring produces carcinogens. That includes browned or burnt toast. The simple act of baking or overcooking foods can produce these cancer-causing substances.

Burned and charred animal proteins are not the only culprits responsible for producing carcinogens. Amino acids and other chemicals found in muscle produce carcinogens when exposed to high temperatures. Nitrates and nitrites have been subject to scrutiny for years by the Department of Agriculture and the meat industry.

Smoked foods contain tars from incomplete cooking that are similar to the carcinogenic tars in cigarette smoke. By comparison, someone who smokes two packs a day is subjected to only half a gram of carcinogens, when some of us are consuming many grams of carcinogenic substances just in our daily diet.

So, what can we do? Never eat again? The answer is in knowing how to lower any risk we may have to cancer. Anything we can do to moderate our diet and safely nourish our bodies will help to balance out our body’s health potential.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. If you are grilling, cover the rack with foil to protect from flare-ups.

2. Limit your intake of meats; always use lean cuts and remove the skin.

3. Use aluminum cooking bags available in stores or make your own.

4. Parboil and pre-cook meats to lessen grilling time.

5. If you like the taste of grilling, try veggie kabobs and corn in the husks.

6. Lightly toast breads, bagels, etc.