Outdoor cooking such as barbecue parties are becoming more popular during social distancing during the pandemic. Not without reason, grilled food has become a favorite because of its unique taste.
Cooking by burning or roasting is also one of the most popular cooking methods without oil because the process is easy. However, it turns out that consuming too much food on fire can actually cause health problems and even trigger cancer and other chronic diseases.
6 Dangers of Eating Too Much Burnt Food
Recognize the dangers of grilled food. Launching from Eat This, Not That!, here are 6 side effects of consuming grilled food too often. Come on!
1. Increases Cancer Risk
Quoting from CookingLight, a nutritionist, Carolyn Williams revealed that, specific compounds HCA (heterocyclic amines) and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) that are formed in animal protein, the amount increases dramatically when food ingredients are cooked at high temperatures. The danger is that these compounds can be carcinogenic to animals.
Although studies have not identified a direct link to cancer in humans, food frequency surveys report that grilled foods are at high risk of triggering certain cancers such as colon, pancreas and bladder.
2. Improve Blood Pressure and Diabetes
Spices that are widely used for baking usually contain sodium and sugar. Without realizing it, consuming too much grilled food can cause an increase in sugar and salt levels in the body.
Eating too much sodium from grilled spices will put a person at risk for high blood pressure. Meanwhile, the high sugar content in roasted spices will have an effect on increasing diabetes.
3. Trigger Cholesterol and Obesity
Foods that contain animal protein such as meat, chicken or fish, which are often the choice of grilled food menus, contain high saturated fat. Too often eating grilled meat, especially red meat can trigger an increase in cholesterol.
Cholesterol will then trigger obesity. The condition will worsen because obesity increases the risk of developing other heart diseases, including hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
4. Triggers Inflammation
Too often eating grilled meat cooked over high heat will cause high production of AGEs in the body.
AGEs (advanced glycation end products) or glycotoxins are by-products of roasted meat. If ingested in excess, it is feared that it can trigger inflammation which then triggers the development of many other chronic diseases, including certain cancers.
5. Causes Constipation
Eating too many baked goods without balanced with vegetables can also cause constipation. Meat or other grilled food ingredients are not able to maintain digestive health because they are low in fiber.
Therefore, to reduce the risk of constipation, make sure you balance the consumption of meat with fruits and vegetables.
6. Lowers Female Fertility
The recommendation for pregnant women to avoid burnt food is not without reason. The researchers found that the presence of AGEs can lower fertility and cause inflammation in the cells lining the uterus, making it harder for the embryo to develop.
Meanwhile, the PAHs found in roasted meat also cross the human placenta. Too much exposure to PAHs can cause low birth weight in babies and risk triggering various health problems in babies after birth.
Those are some of the dangers and risks of side effects that can be caused by eating too much burnt food. For those of you lovers of grilled food, you should start reducing it now.