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Grilled cooking, a symbol of evenings in the company and a bastion of old and tasty flavors of yes, is often considered a healthy food for its bass (or nothing) use of toppings; it can have exactly opposite effects if you do not follow the right behaviors. What are the risks of grilling? And what are the rules for preserving health as well as the taste?
The risks of grilling
Grilled, grilled, or electric grills, It usually involves “dry” and high-temperature cooking (they can be as high as 1000 degrees C!), which can lead to the formation of carcinogenic and harmful substances, especially when grilling meats or other high-fat foods.
Among the most toxic substances are heterocyclic amines (HCAs), due to changes in the chemical structure of amino acids (proteins) and creatine in contact with high temperatures. Animal foods are rich in amino acids and creatine, which is why HCAs have been detected in beef, pork, poultry, and grilled fish, especially in the outer and darker parts.
Both HCAs and PHAs have been linked to an increased risk of developing different types of cancers: stomach, breast, prostate, and colon.
So you have to give up?
Giving up grilling altogether may not be the right solution, let alone realistic, since this type of cooking, often made in summer and outdoors, is synonymous with a company with friends and family. Experts suggest using this type of food at most three times a month and with some necessary precautions. Beware, however, of the use in the home of electric grills or plates and stones because, being fast and straightforward to use, you run the risk of adopting this cooking too frequently. These tools can cause the same damage as a grill on wood or charcoal, so they should be used rarely and with the same precautions.
The ten rules for a safer grilling
1. Choose the most suitable foods: give preference to lean meat, avoid high-fat varieties such as pork chops or sausages, prefer the catch, because grilled fish produces less toxic amines during cooking.
2. Prepare the meat: remove the visible fat and remove the skin from the chicken as the runny and burning fat tends to form smoke rich in harmful substances.
3. Before cooking: submit the fish or meat to a marinade using spices, herbs, lemon juice, and garlic; it is a very effective method to reduce the appearance of harmful substances.
4. Use properly thawed food: the food still partially frozen inside takes longer to cook and therefore, must be more on the grill; this increases the chance of it burning on the surface.
5. Carefully clean the grill: at the end of its use or before using it, eliminate all burnt parts because it is the toxic residues of the previous cooking that would adhere to the new foods altering its characteristics and safety.
6. Use grids with thin bar lines or wavy plates to try to get as little contact as possible between the hot cooking surface and the food. In the case of the grid, place it about 15 centimeters from the heat source to prevent the food from being affected by any flames or taking heat from too close a distance.
7. Create protection between the grid and the food to prevent the large coli and produce smoke; For example, use an aluminum foil placed on top of the network and adequately perforated.
8. Avoid reaching too high temperatures: remove food from the heat before it burns partially and lowers the temperature.
9. Limit cooking time: preferably precocious food for a few minutes in the microwave, bake or pan before grilling and, in any case, prefer to cook, not excessive grilled.
10. Avoid eating burned foods: sometimes, you leave too much food on the fire until it ignites, in this case, try to eliminate the blackened parts. In doubt, throw it, even if the “burnt crust” may seem like the best part.
Beware of “crust,” not just the grid.
Recent studies by Karen Chapman-Novakofsk at the University of Illinois have shown that the brown “crust” of food (the one that can be formed in grilled cooking, but also in the oven, and which characterizes many gastronomic preparations, even industrial) is rich in AGE (Advanced Glycation Products) substances associated with an increased risk of contracting cardiovascular diseases, such as arteriosclerosis, AGE is formed by the chemical reaction between sugars and proteins cooked at temperatures above 200 degrees. For this reason, it is essential, in addition to following the instructions given for grilling, to limit the consumption of all those foods, even industrial, that are burnt or with a crust with too brown color; a typical example is the Catalan cream, yummy, but better to eat it rarely.
The importance of the right “accompaniment.”
The choices of drinks and foods to be combined with grills are also a significant help to protect yourself from the risks of this cooking. It is essential to drink a lot of water to facilitate the elimination of toxins and limit the consumption of alcohol (drink one, maximum two glasses of wine); also accompany grills with foods rich in fiber and antioxidants, such as vegetables, helps to protect the body. In particular, antioxidants are protective nutrients contained in different foods, famously in those of plant origin, and have proven to be of fundamental importance to reduce the risk of various pathologies and to slow down premature aging. They should never be missing from our tables and should be consumed in large quantities, also given the advantage of not making calories.
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