Think sizzling meat and many think hearty appetite. However, if you often indulge in barbecued meat like BQ pork, beef, jerky, think about their potential health risks.

Even though there is no clear proof that barbecued food causes cancer, burned or overcooked food is potentially carcinogenic. Carcinogens are substances that have been directly linked to cancer. Carcinogens such as Heterocyclic Amines (HCA) are produced under high temperature when a chemical reaction occurs between amino acids and creatine found in meats.

HCA has been linked to stomach, colorectal, pancreatic and breast cancer. Production of HCA is not confined to only when beef is barbecued, but also to chicken, pork and fish. Dietary factors also play a role such as cooking methods like oven roasting and baking. These can also produce HCA, even though of a lesser degree than barbecue.

It has been proven (Study done in Nutrition clinic, University of South Carolina) that women who regularly consumed well done meats has around five times the risk of getting breast cancer than women who ate meat cooked at lower temperatures. In another study, those who has their meat medium-well or well done had more than three times the risk of stomach cancer than those who had their beef rare. The message is clear !!

On the brighter side, for those barbecued meat lovers, barbecued foods can be healthy too. By marinating meats with marinades high in cancer fighting anti-oxidants such as lemon or lime juice prior to cooking, you can reduce the HCA levels by over 90 percent.

Now this is the take - If you simply love barbecued foods and you would rather die than live without it, here's how you can live longer by reducing the risk of cancer by following the following simple rules.

1.  Choose only lean cuts of meat.
2.  Trim off fat before cooking.
3.  Have less meat that are high in fat (such as hamburger meat).
4.  Grill food in aluminum foil to keep the smoke away from the meat.
5.  Marinate the meat with marinades that are high in anti-oxidants such as lemon or lime juice, herbs and olive oil.
6.  Remove badly burned parts before eating.

There you are ... stay healthy! And may you continue to enjoy your fave foods !

Excerpts from ANN/Strait Times