Can Overcooking of Meat Causes Cancer?

 

When muscle meat, such as beef, pig, fish, or chicken, is cooked at high temperatures, such as pan-frying or grilling directly over an open flame, compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are generated. HCAs and PAHs have been discovered to be mutagenic in laboratory trials, meaning they create changes in DNA that may raise the risk of cancer.

When amino acids, carbohydrates, and creatine or creatinine (muscle-derived compounds) react at high temperatures, HCAs are generated. When fat and fluids from meat cooked directly over a hot surface or an open fire fall onto the surface or fire, generating flames and smoke, PAHs are generated.

The smoke contains PAHs, which stick to the meat's surface. Other food preparation techniques, such as smoking meats, can also produce PAHs. Other than meat cooked at high temperatures, HCAs are not present in substantial concentrations in meals. Other smoked foods, as well as cigarette smoke and automobile exhaust gases, include PAHs.

There is no conclusive association between HCA and PAH exposure from cooked meats and cancer in people, according to population research. One challenge in performing such research is determining the precise degree of HCA and/or PAH exposure a person receives from grilled meats. Although dietary surveys can offer accurate estimates, they may not include all of the information regarding cooking processes needed to calculate HCA and PAH exposure levels. Furthermore, even among persons who consume (take in) the same quantity of HCAs and PAHs, individual variation in the activity of enzymes that metabolise these substances may result in exposure disparities. People may have been exposed to PAHs from a variety of sources other than diet.