Do you often participate with friends in the grill season? Are you wondering if red meat increases the risk of disease? Cancer, rheumatism and other chronic inflammatory diseases? Does it depend on the quality, type and method of preparation?
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While there are always media reports about the discovery (meta-analyses from study data) that red meat increases cancer risks (especially colon cancer), this is a well-known fact for many years and one has to make precise distinctions. The dose (amount and frequency of use) as well as the form of preparation always plays a decisive role.
Red meat contains protein structures against which the human organism forms antibodies and thus activates the immune system. Poultry meat and fish do not contain these protein structures. Activation of the immune system does not necessarily require disease-triggering processes, but in addition to other defense reactions, there is more potential for inflammatory responses and uncompensated oxidative stress (i.e. malignant cell degeneration or damage to cells and gene structures that the organism needs to repair).
The device is: less red meat, not too roasted or fried and less processed meat (sausage etc.).
Overall, for risk reduction it is the recommendation to consume less meat: an adult should not eat more than 40 to about 90 grams of meat per day (the German Society of nutrition recommends a maximum of 300 to 600g per week).
That's about per week:
In addition, it is important to reduce the animal fats that form arachnidonic acid and can increase inflammatory processes.
Red meat is all meat except poultry and fish.
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Summary: higher risk for red meat of cow, steer, pork, veal, sheep, lamb and goat. Especially cured is meat is riskier: such as pork sausage, ham, bacon, sausages, “Kassler” meat and Vienna sausages.
On the other hand, it is quite possible to grill lean meat, especially low-fat poultry meat.
REASONS OF RISK ASSOCIATIONS AND COMPENSATION POSSIBILITIES!
When heated - and especially when searing - carcinogenic (cancer-promoting) substances can form
Not all reasons for the risks of red and processed meat are well known. It is probably not just the protein structure and the type of fats. The iron content, the formation of carcinogenic amino and nitrous compounds (ATNCs apparent total N-nitrous compounds) may also play a role. The clearest evidence for risk is related to the method of cooking.
Red meat could increase the oxidative stress via the increased iron content with added cell damage and cell degeneration on the intestinal mucosa. Other negative factors could be the increased use of cattle fattening hormones and genetically modified feed.
Many data on the studies came from the US, where relatively large amounts of grilled beef are consumed. In the context of the preparation type, especially in case of grilling with the excessive searing or burning of fats, more carcinogens are formed (potentially cancer-promoting substances - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs] benzopyrene, heterocyclic aromatic amines [HAAs] and other carcinogenic and mutagenic substances). However, these can occur in all types of meat! The highest concentrations are registered when a strong browning or even charring occurs (even with white meat).
The potentially carcinogenic PAHs are generally produced in foods by preparation involving heating or smoking; e.g. when grilling, roasting and baking, while drying in direct contact with open flame or flue gases.
When grilling, this happens especially when fat or meat juice drips into the charcoal and the meat is smoked. A bluish smoke contaminates the food. Even inhaling this smoke increases your body's exposure to these pollutants. You also should not glaze the grilled meat with beer as it can also cause PAHs.
The marinade, as well should not drip into the embers. Therefore, the marinade should be used with the appropriate grill system - in barbecue bowls, or with vertical grill systems. The heat source should be well-glowing and not-smoking; and the meat should be turned often or steadily (rotating is best). Both beer and suitable marinades can help on other conditions (see below).
In the muscle meat of fish PAHs can also penetrate, but they are rapidly degraded and cannot accumulate so much.
When charcoal grilling, 10-times the amount of PAHs (benzopyrenes) is produced in the outer layer of the grilled food, and as much as 200-times more when roasted over a wood fire.
It must be emphasized that certain multifactorial causal complexes are risk-increasing, because in some South American countries, where also a lot of red and grilled meat is consumed, the increase in colorectal cancer risk could not be determined to the same extent.
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Marinating the meat before grilling proves to be very favorable under certain conditions. The marinade should not drip into the embers and cause smoke (see topic above).
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When meat has been marinated with herbs, oils and essences (mustard, horseradish, etc.), significantly fewer pollutants were detected as a result of grilling. Here the phytochemicals ("secondary plant substances") from the marinade compensate very probably (and thus prove to be helpful for the detoxification). For example, a marinade of olive oil (from first cold pressing - extra virgin), vinegar, garlic, mustard, lemon juice reduced the heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) by up to 99%; and spice combinations even in low doses with garlic, sage, thyme and oregano significantly reduced these pollutants. Even low concentrations of mustard or soy condiment show a significant reduction in the harmful effects of PAHs. Among other things, garlic is very effective against carcinogenic nitrosamines. Black beer (Ale) was also able to lower the pollutant concentration.
In a study at the university in Honolulu, Hawaii, where various home-made marinades (Teriaki marinade or Turmeric-Garlic marinade) and commercial barbecue sauces were tested on beef steaks to observe the pollutant development during grilling, the results showed in the self-made marinades a up to 67% lower pollutant production (HAAs) compared to commercial barbecue sauces (honey barbecue sauce).
Study Sources:
Salmon CP, Knize MG, et al.: Effects of marinating on heterocyclic amine carcinogen formation in grilled chicken. Food Chem Toxicol, 1997 May;35(5):433-41.
Nerurkar PV, Le Marchand L, Cooney RV: Effects of marinating with Asian marinades or western barbecue sauce on PhIP and MeIQx formation in barbecued beef. Nutr Cancer. 1999;34(2):147-52.
13 RULES FOR A HEALTHY BARBECUE (GRILLING)
Certain rules should be followed when grilling to ensure healthy eating:
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This is followed by another newsletter.
Pickled meat products (sausage or “Kassler” meat) contain nitrite pickling salt, which produces nitrosamines when exposed to heat, which can cause gastric and esophageal cancers.
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Prof. Dr. Werner Seebauer is Dean of Studies – Association of German Preventologists, Head of Preventive Medicine Department of Institute of Transcultural Health Sciences (European University Viadrina) and Head of Preventive Medicine – NESA (The New European Surgical Academy). Since 2000, prof. dr. Werner Seebauer worked only in preventive medicine, after ten years spent at the Frankfurt University Hospital. He is also involved in the medical professionals training for nutrition and prevention.