Weep, Chicken Lovers!
Nov 12, 2005 19:35 Filed in: Science
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and The Cancer Project recently released the results of a study assessing the carcinogenic properties of grilled meats. To everyone's surprise grilled chicken contained the highest amounts of heterocyclic amines (HCAs), cancer-causing substances produced during cooking from the creatine, amino acids, and sugars found naturally in chicken and other meats.
“The riskiest aspect of chicken is not grease or salmonella,” says Cancer Project managing director Jennifer Reilly, R.D. “Few people are aware that chicken is the single biggest contributor of carcinogenic HCAs in the American diet.” In addition to high HCA levels, chicken contains about the same amount of cholesterol as beef and is also typically high in fat. Even when the skin is removed, dark meat is thrown away, and a non-fat cooking method is used, chicken still derives 23 percent of its calories from fat.
Below are the amounts of HCAs in common foods. The only safe foods to grill are veggie foods like veggie burgers, veggie brochettes and portabello mushrooms, which can be cooked at high temperatures without producing HCAs. PCRM furnishes a number of healthy recipes on its web site for grilling and picnics.
There are few things this writer enjoys more than a plate of ribs or a half chicken barbecued over a smoky fire. Looks like those meals are going to be far apart in the future.
Addendum: Readers might wonder why a health article appears on this blog. I apologize for not connecting the two, assuming that the average reader of the JP would understand that meat is highly political. Industrial farming creates serious environmental and public health problems and must be highly regulated to minimize damage. In addition, we are learning that eating too much meat is causing health problems in the entire population. The meat industry has spent money and energy attempting to kill environmental regulation designed to protect the public. It has spent money on advertising that tries to convince people to eat more meat. These are public issues and therefore political.
“The riskiest aspect of chicken is not grease or salmonella,” says Cancer Project managing director Jennifer Reilly, R.D. “Few people are aware that chicken is the single biggest contributor of carcinogenic HCAs in the American diet.” In addition to high HCA levels, chicken contains about the same amount of cholesterol as beef and is also typically high in fat. Even when the skin is removed, dark meat is thrown away, and a non-fat cooking method is used, chicken still derives 23 percent of its calories from fat.
Below are the amounts of HCAs in common foods. The only safe foods to grill are veggie foods like veggie burgers, veggie brochettes and portabello mushrooms, which can be cooked at high temperatures without producing HCAs. PCRM furnishes a number of healthy recipes on its web site for grilling and picnics.
The Five Worst Foods to Grill (by HCA levels)
Food HCAs ng/100g* Chicken breast, skinless, boneless, grilled, welldone 14,300 ng/100g Steak, grilled, well done 810 ng/100g Pork, barbecued 470 ng/100g Salmon, grilled with skin 166 ng/100g Hamburger, grilled, well done 130 ng/100g *100g portion equals about 3.5 ounces grilled
There are few things this writer enjoys more than a plate of ribs or a half chicken barbecued over a smoky fire. Looks like those meals are going to be far apart in the future.
Addendum: Readers might wonder why a health article appears on this blog. I apologize for not connecting the two, assuming that the average reader of the JP would understand that meat is highly political. Industrial farming creates serious environmental and public health problems and must be highly regulated to minimize damage. In addition, we are learning that eating too much meat is causing health problems in the entire population. The meat industry has spent money and energy attempting to kill environmental regulation designed to protect the public. It has spent money on advertising that tries to convince people to eat more meat. These are public issues and therefore political.
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