Can eating grilled meat cause cancer?

Answer:

There are limited studies on the correlation between grilled dishes and cancer. However, it has been proven that meat cooked at high temperatures generates heterocyclic amine and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which cause changes in the cells’ DNA and thus, cancer.

Meat cooked at high temperatures generates chemicals that cause changes in the cells’ DNA and thus, cancer. Photo illustration by Freepik

The International Agency for Research on Cancer under the World Health Organization classified red meat as probably carcinogenic to humans in 2015. Processed meat including sausages and bacon is classified as carcinogenic.

The good thing is seasoning the meat before grilling can reduce several carcinogenic factors by 90%, according to international research. That is because the reaction that results in heterocyclic amine only happens on the outer layer of the meat. Thus, coating it with a layer of sauce will prevent this reaction from happening.

Other ways to safely consume grilled meat include cooking the meat before grilling to reduce the grilling time, avoiding the flame touching the meat, putting the meat on a piece of tin foil, and frequently alternating between the two sides of the piece of meat to avoid it from burning.

Nutrition Pham Hong Ngoc

Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine