Play It Safe When Grilling
by Emily Cumming and Jennifer Jones

Nearly everyone loves dining outdoors in the warm summer breeze with the sun shining, surrounded by family and friends. Grilling outdoors enables people to enjoy the summer weather while they reap the benefits of this healthy cooking method. But recent reports say that grilling can pose potential health risks. Fortunately, when the correct steps are taken, harmful carcinogens can be minimized.

Grilling lean meats can be a great way to enjoy tasty meals while helping to lower your fat intake, according to the American Dietetic Association. Grilling requires no added fats or oils, unlike frying and baking indoors. When grilling, excess fat drips from the meat and thus decreases its overall fat content. And fruit juices, herbs, and spices can be used in place of high-fat ingredients to increase flavor and palatability.

Move Over, Burgers and Dogs
Grilling isn't just for hamburgers and hot dogs anymore. Almost any food can be grilled to perfection — the key is to be creative. Marinated zucchini slices, mesquite grilled pizza, tuna steaks, and pineapple rings are just some of the many delicious alternatives to traditional barbecue fare.

Fruits and vegetables with a tough protective skin, such as potatoes, onions, apricots, tomatoes, apples, or peppers, can be grilled whole, either wrapped in foil or directly on the grill. Lightly browning these items lets sugars caramelize and does not allow large amounts of water to escape. This heightens the flavor of the fruits and vegetables and preserves their vitamin and mineral content.

Although it is widely accepted that there are many benefits to cooking on a grill, recent reports have warned of the carcinogenic effects of overcooking meats or allowing them to form a black, crispy crust. Dr. Brooks Edwards of the Mayo Clinic says that charring meat on the grill creates aromatic hydrocarbons, a group of chemicals created through the burning of coal, gas, oil, and other organic substances. Aromatic hydrocarbons have been shown to cause tumors in laboratory rats and in humans after long periods of exposure.

Charbroiled meats also may contain heterocyclic amines (HCAs), compounds formed when meat is burned or cooked at extremely high temperatures. These compounds have been proven to cause heart abnormalities, mammary cancers, and colon cancers in laboratory animals, and are thought to have the same effect in the human body by the stimulation of harmful free radicals.

The following are various measures that can be taken to reduce your cancer risk when grilling, according to the American Cancer Society:

• Defrost or even precook meats by baking, broiling, or microwaving to lessen the amount of time the meat spends on the grill. This will decrease the likelihood of blackening the outside of the meat, while leaving the middle uncooked.
  
  
• Cook over a low heat to avoid flare-ups, which char the meat's surface and create aromatic hydrocarbons and HCAs. Use a squirt bottle of water to stop flare-ups.
  
  
• Choose low-fat meats, such as chicken breast or extra lean beef, and use foil or a drop pan while grilling. This will prevent excess fat from falling into the flames or coals. Therefore, less smoke will be created that may carry carcinogenic substances to the food.
  
  
• Slice foods to no greater than 1-1/2 inches thick to allow for quicker cooking.
  
  
• If possible, cook foods at least 6 inches above burning coals and flames.
  
  
• Apply sauces containing honey, cherries, or tomatoes during cooking to prevent charring. These ingredients contain antioxidants and sugars that can suppress HCA formation.

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