You probably did not know that cooking meat (red meat, pork and chicken) at high temperatures like on a BBQ causes cancer-causing heterocyclic amines(HCA) to form. These are the same chemicals found in cigarette smoke and have been shown to cause cancer. There are tricks to preventing these HCAs from forming, they are:

1. Eat less meat: Research shows that heating vegetables at high temps does not form HCAs so if you add more veggies to the meal you will eat less meat and still be satisfied.
2. Turn the TEMP down: Temperature is the most significant determinant of HCA formation. The higher the heat, the more HCAs. Cook at lower temperature over a longer period of time to lower HCA development. Dropping the temp by 100 degrees cuts HCA formation by two-thirds.
3. Turn your meat often. Flipping your burgers, chicken, etc will prevent the heat within the meat from hitting those high temps that can start to form the HCAs.
4. Marinade your meats. Marinating beef overnight with teriyaki or tumeric-garlic sauce has shown to significantly reduce HCA formation. AVOID high sugar and/or fructose sweetened marinades because they can actually triple HCA production. The best marinades are red wines which reduce HCA formation by 88 percent.
5. Go skinless. Less HCA production if the chicken is skinless.
6. Choose good side dishes: Foods like blueberries, blackberries, red grapes, kiwi, watermellon, parsley, and spinach greens help reduce HCA affects. Drinks like tea, red wine, and beer also do the same.
7. Eat Veggies. Cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and other cruciferous veggies have a chemical called sulforaphane that helps neutralize the HCAs.

In Conclusion: You can continue to enjoy your BBQ with less risk to your health by following these simple tips.