We hear a lot about eating a healthy diet rich in nutrient-dense foods. Plant-focused eating patterns that limit foods such as red meat and ultra-processed, sugary items take center stage in dietary advice. Eating the rainbow and popular diets like the Mediterranean Diet have decades of data supporting their benefits for everything from better heart health to a lower risk of cancer.
Still. What you eat is only one piece of the puzzle, especially when it comes to cancer prevention. What happens to the food before it hits your plate also matters. We're talking about how you're cooking your food.
"How we prepare our food can change its chemical makeup," says Dr. Shikha Jain, MD, FACP, a triple board-certified hematologist and oncologist and an associate professor at the University of Illinois Cancer Center. "Certain cooking methods can create harmful compounds, while others help preserve nutrients and reduce inflammation."
Dr. Jain points out that these meal-prep choices happen daily, and you may have a preferred method you use consistently. "Small differences in food prep can add up over time and influence long-term health, including cancer risk," Dr. Jain says.
Another oncologist agrees, saying that shifting your cooking techniques can have a full-body and longevity-extending effect. "Choosing safer cooking techniques allows you to preserve nutritional value while minimizing exposure to these harmful byproducts," saysDr. Andre Goy, MD, a Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center physician-in-chief and vice president of oncology.First, you need to know the popular cooking method oncologists want people to limit. Three oncologists agree that it's best to avoid this one cooking strategy as much as possible, and what to do instead.
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The Popular Cooking Method To Limit, Oncologists Warn
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One way to reduce your cancer risk is to avoid charring food, such as meat and vegetables, intentionally.
"Charring foods, including meat, fruit and vegetables, can produce heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can cause DNA damage in cells, increasing the risk of developing cancers, especially colorectal cancer," says Dr. Anton Bilchik, MD, Ph.D., a surgical oncologist, chief of medicine and the director of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Program at Providence Saint John’s Cancer Institute.
That may have been a mouthful to digest, especially if it's not every day or any day that you see terms like "heterocyclic amines" and "polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons."
"HCAs form when muscle proteins, like meat, poultry and fish, are exposed to high temperatures," Dr. Goy says. "PAHs are created when fat drips onto flames or hot surfaces, producing smoke that adheres to food."
If you accidentally charred food, you don't necessarily have to throw a whole broccoli tree or a slice of chicken in the garbage. "If food becomes charred, trim or scrape off all blackened portions," Dr. Goy states. "Discard food that is heavily burned throughout. These charred areas contain concentrated HCAs and PAHs and should not be consumed."
What you shouldn't do? Freak out, as hard as it is after seeing all of the above. "There’s no need to panic—just don’t make it routine," Dr. Jain says.
If you have been eating charred food for a long time, you may have concerns and questions about whether you're now at a higher risk for cancer. Also, you may simply want to know how much charred food is too much.
"There’s no clear cutoff," Dr. Jain adds. "Risk appears to be related tohow often and how long someone is exposed over time. An occasional charred meal is unlikely to meaningfully raise cancer risk, but making heavily charred foods a regular habit may."
Your best bet is to move forward and prepare food differently.
Related: The 1 Type of Food Oncology Dietitians Are Begging Everyone To Eat More
The first step in safer meal prep is menu planning. Fruits and vegetables are excellent choices. When it comes to protein, though, you'll want to be discerning—especially when managing your cancer risk. Dr. Goy suggests prioritizing plant-based proteins, such as lentils, beans, tofu and salmon. Read and processed meats, including bacon, sausage and deli meats, are red flags. The World Health Organization deemed processed meats as Group 1 carcinogens.
Related: ‘I’m an Oncology Dietitian—Here Are the 5 Foods I Always Have in My Kitchen’
6 Expert-Backed Tips for Safer Cooking
Once you have your grocery list set, you'll want to figure out how to prepare the food. Dr. Bilchik shares some strategies you can use that won't raise your cancer risk and can help with nutrient retention, including:
Steaming and poaching to preserve vitamins and antioxidant compounds, promote digestibility and nix HCA and PAH formation.Baking and gently roasting vegetables and lean proteins at lower, controlled oven temperatures helps avoid HCA/PAH-generating smoke and direct flame.Stir‑frying/quick sautéing with minimal oil to shorten cooking time (score!) and preserve nutrients and texture. Slow‑cooking at lower temperatures for tender, easy‑to‑swallow dishes (Dr. Bilchik adds that these dishes are go-to options for chemotherapy patients experiencing mucositis, taste changes, and fatigue.)Marinating with acids (lemon, vinegar, yogurt) and herbs when grilling to reduce harmful compound formation.Use olive or canola oil and season with herbs, garlic, citrus and spices instead of relying on butter and processed sauces.And if something gets charred while you're playing around with new cooking methods in the kitchen? Just scrape it off and try again.
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Sources:
Dr. Anton Bilchik, MD, Ph.D., a surgical oncologist, chief of medicine and the director of the Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Program at Providence Saint John’s Cancer InstituteDr. Andre Goy, MD. a Hackensack Meridian John Theurer Cancer Center physician-in-chief and vice president of oncologyDr. Shikha Jain, MD, FACP, a triple board-certified hematologist and oncologist and an associate professor at the University of Illinois Cancer Center,Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures and Cancer Risk. National Cancer Institute.Cancer: Carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat. World Health Organization.Mitigation of heterocyclic amines, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and acrylamide in air-fried chicken and beef: effects of cooking methods and marinades. Food Science Biotechnology.Hence then, the article about the popular cooking method oncologists are begging people to limit was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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