| The Memorial Day holiday is the traditional kick-off of | | | | Flip hamburgers often. Doing so every minute |
| the summer barbecue season in the United States, | | | | reduces HCAs by up to 100 percent. This is likely |
| but research has shown that grilling can create | | | | because constant flipping keeps internal meat |
| cancer-causing compounds in meat, experts say. | | | | temperatures lower. |
| Among the compounds are heterocyclic amines | | | | Marinate meat before grilling. This can greatly reduce |
| (HCAs), which are created when heat acts on amino | | | | HCAs. For example, one study found that chicken |
| acids, and creatinine in animal muscle. | | | | marinated for 40 minutes in a mixture of brown |
| The longer the cooking time and the higher the heat, | | | | sugar, olive oil, cider vinegar, garlic, mustard, lemon |
| the more HCAs, say experts at the University of | | | | juice and salt cut HCAs by 92 percent to 99 percent. |
| California, Davis, Cancer Center. That means that | | | | Don't cook meat to "well done." Use a meat |
| barbecuing produces the most HCAs, followed by | | | | thermometer and cook poultry to an internal |
| pan-frying and broiling. Baking, poaching, stir-frying and | | | | temperature of 165-180 degrees F, ground beef, |
| stewing produce the least HCAs. | | | | pork and lamb to 160-170 degrees F, and beef |
| The UC Davis experts offer the following advice for | | | | steaks and roasts to 145-160 degrees F. |
| limiting HCAs: | | | | One or two days before you barbecue, eat |
| Before you barbecue meat, partially cook it in the | | | | cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, |
| microwave and then throw out the juices that collect | | | | cauliflower, kale and brussels sprouts. These |
| in the cooking dish. Finish cooking the meat on the | | | | vegetables contain compounds that activate |
| grill. Precooking a hamburger for a few minutes in the | | | | enzymes in the body that detoxify HCAs. |
| microwave reduces HCAs by up to 95 percent. | | | | |