Here's How Charred Meat Can Impact Your Health

You’re firing up the grill to cook some steaks. As you turn up the knobs to high, you suddenly remember reading that charred meat can cause cancer (or something like that).

Now you have a terrible dilemma. Do you go down to medium, and give up on those beautiful grill marks? Or do you crank up the power and char those bad boys? What does the current science really say about eating charred meats, or other foods cooked at high temperatures?

What is char anyway?

Before we look into whether charred meat increases your cancer risk, it helps to understand what happens when you cook meat over high temperatures.

As the muscle meat from animals hits a hot grill or pan, the amino acids, sugars, and creatinine inside react to form chemicals called heterocyclic amines (HCAs). In addition, fat and juices from the meat drip down into the fire, creating smoke. This smoke contains another set of chemicals, known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), that stick to the surface of the meat.

Other foods cooked at high temperatures (such as vegetables) do not generate significant amounts of HCAs. However, PAHs can be found in any food that has been smoked on a grill or in a smoke house.

Should I worry about HCAs and PAHs?

Both HCAs and PAHs have been shown to alter mouse DNA. It’s possible, though not proven, that can also affect human DNA. Changes to DNA can increase your risk of cancer by affecting how and when cells multiply. In research studies, however, mice are fed extremely high doses of HCAs and PAHs – thousands of times the dose we would normally find in cooked meat.

In humans, red meat increases the risk of colon cancer (regardless of how it’s cooked). A few studies have further shown that well-done, fried, or barbecued meats further increase the risk of certain cancers – like in the colon, pancreatic and prostate. This issue is far from settled, however.

Of note, there is also strong evidence of a link between colon cancer and highly processed meats – like sliced turkey, deli meats, bacon, ham, and hot dogs. The WHO has also warned of an association between processed foods and stomach cancer. For example, studies have found some (weak) evidence that smoked salmon increases the stomach cancer risk in lab animals. (Bagel and lox fans: fear not. Lox is salt cured, and is therefore not considered “smoked” salmon.)

Okay – so can I grill to charred perfection, or not?

Overall, the World Cancer Research Fund has not made any special dietary recommendations around grilled or charred meats. Instead, they recommend limiting how much red meat and processed (including smoked) meat you consume. If you’re still concerned, the National Cancer Institute has a few recommendations:

• Avoid direct exposure of meats to an open flame (to prevent PAH smoke particles from sticking to your food).
• Flip the meat over more often while cooking to prevent charring
• Remove charred parts of the meat, and avoid using gravy made from meat drippings
• Choose cuts of meat with lower fat content (since fat drips off the meat and creates smoke)
• Eat a diet full of fruits and vegetables, which protect against stomach cancer

Christopher Kelly, M.D., M.S. and Marc Eisenberg, M.D., F.A.C.C. are cardiologists at Columbia University Medical Center and the authors of “AM I DYING?!: A Complete Guide To Your Symptoms and What To Do Next.”