Chicken Breasts Are the Most Dangerous Food to Grill
It's June 1, which means grilling season is about to pop off. If you're the type who basically shuts down her oven as soon as it's warm enough to fire up the barbecue, you're not alone: Grilling has become one of America's favorite pastimes. More than 79 million Americans have grilled in the past year and a whopping 87 percent will grill out on July 4th.
But all the char can come at a high price: When a food takes on those extreme grill marks that no doubt taste delish, the health effects can be no bueno. That char contains compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCA), which have been linked to cancer. One 2009 study found that those who prefer their meat very well done on the grill could increase their risk of pancreatic cancer. And another study in 2015 linked the consumption with grilled meats with kidney cancer. "We calculated the intake of cancer-causing chemicals that are produced when cooked at high temperatures or over an open flame, particularly grilling, barbecuing, or pan-frying, says Xifeng Wu, MD, PhD, professor of Epidemiology at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "We found that the intake of these cancer-causing chemicals was higher among kidney cancer patients compared with healthy individuals."
The worst offender? Good ol' grilled chicken. According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, grilled chicken might be perceived as being healthier, but it actually has 10 times (yup, you read that right) more HCAs than grilled steak - about 14,000 nanograms per 100 grams of meat.
Obviously, not all of us are going to ditch grilled chicken for vegetables, so if you do still want to grill chicken, try not to get it too charred. Low and slow and indirect grilling or smoking is a healthier option than a high flame.
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