Is Charcoal Barbecuing Harmful to Your Health?

With everyone becoming more health conscious it is not surprising that many would want to know the safe methods of barbecuing before opting to use a charcoal grill. People have been enjoying food which has been barbecued on a charcoal grill for ages, but would now like to make sure that this is entirely safe, as far as your health goes. When charcoal burns it releases soot particles and hydrocarbons which are not environment friendly and can also cause the greenhouse effect. The air gets polluted with the particles and this aggravates health problems which may already exist in some people like heart and lung problems.

Though charcoal grilled meat is the most popular form of barbecuing, as it makes the tastiest foods, it is known that this also has carcinogenic compounds because of the grilling process. The two compounds which are found in grilled meat and are carcinogenic are polycyclic hydrocarbons and heterocyclic amines. While grilling the meat the fat drips into the burning coals and these two toxic chemicals are formed which form deposits on the meat because of the smoke which is emanating from the charcoal. These chemicals are linked to being at a greater risk of getting cancer. There are other compounds which also get deposited on the meat which can lead to serious health complications if consumed excessively.

As grilling and barbecuing are two extremely popular ways of eating meat and other food stuffs there is no way that people will give up on eating these foods. However, to play it safe it is better to reduce the number of times one eats food which is barbecued on charcoal. Keeping the quantity under control will make one less susceptible to these health problems and makes it possible to live healthy and also enjoy food which is tasty without giving up on it completely.