Backyard cookouts are to die for, but fortunately now you don’t have to. A new study says that beer marinades may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer potentially posed by eating grilled meat, so summer 2014 is going to be next-level delicious.
The Effect of Beer Marinades on Formation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Charcoal-Grilled Pork, published earlier this month in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, explains that marinating meat in beer may prevent the health risks posed by Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), a substance that can form on meats grilled at high temperature. PAH is also found in car exhaust and cigarette smoke (yum!) and is linked to cancer in laboratory animals.
Past studies have indicated that tea, wine or beer marinades may be effective in preventing the formation and absorption of PAHs in meat, but a brave team of scientists took it upon themselves to examine the specific protective qualities of beer by marinating charcoal-grilled pork in Pilsner (alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties) as well as black beer ale. After cooking the pork to well done at a high temperature and time duration, the team found that Black Beer Ale offered the most benefits, reducing the amount of PAHs in the meat by over 50% compared to un-marinated pork, while Pilsner decreased PAH presence by an also impressive 25%.
According to the researchers, their cook-out experiments prove “the intake of beer marinated meat can be a suitable mitigation strategy” in fighting off the hazards posed by meat consumption, i.e. give us all a good excuse to eat like Hagar the Horrible.
Obviously beer and meat seem unlikely tools in our fight against cancer, but at least they’re arguably more all-American than pomegranate juice and kale salad, and may play a small part in reducing the risk posed by backyard barbecuing. Now all you have to worry about is choking on a watermelon seed or tiki-torch impalement.
(via Phys.org, image via kidmissile)
- It’s meat shot glass season again!
- This combination briefcase/barbecue is dangerously classy
- Perhaps try this with some Klingon beer!
