Ashburn, VA

58° F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Ashburn

Virginia

58°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Ashburn, VA Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Video

Podcasts

Winter Center

News & Features AccuWeather Prime Astronomy Business Climate Health Recreation Sports Travel

News / AccuWeather Ready

Grilling this weekend? Experts offer these tips to avoid hidden dangers

As you prep the grill for your favorite eats, here's how to safely cook up those delicious meals and help reduce potential health risks for your family and friends when you gather next.

By Jillian MacMath, AccuWeather staff writer

Copied

Barbecuing brings joy to many people during the summertime. You might not be thinking about some very real health risks associated with it though.

Grilling is a good idea any time of the year. But it's especially a nice option when the weather warms up during the summer months.

And recipes abound. From barbecue ribs and ribeye steaks to grilled snapper and veggie kabobs, you can have some tasty meals cooked and ready to go for lunch or dinner on a weekday or over the weekend.

But experts said there are some hidden dangers you should know about before firing up the grill.

Research shows that cooking meat under intense heat on the grill can put you at a higher risk for cancers, including colorectal, breast, stomach and pancreatic cancers. According to Karen Collins, nutrition adviser for the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), two cancer-causing compounds can form when meat is cooked on the grill: HCAs and PAHs.

HCAs, or heterocyclic amines, are formed when animal protein is exposed to intense heat. PAHs, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, form in smoke and are deposited on meat. Most often, this occurs when fat from meat drips onto charcoal or another heat source, causing smoke to develop.

Despite research, Collins said it's too soon to tell whether the risk is equal for all people.

“At this point, inconsistent research suggests that genetic differences may cause some to face a greater risk than others despite the same exposure,” she told AccuWeather, so everyone should take the same precautions for now.

But if you can’t fathom putting away the grill for good, these risks can be mitigated by following a few simple steps.

“Since the HCAs are really a reaction to exposure to intense heat, two different steps can reduce that. One is simply by reducing the temperature,” Collins said.

GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

  • Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+

When meat is cooked to the same degree of doneness at a high temperature - finishing just two minutes faster - the amount of HCAs that form is substantially increased.

“You can cut that simply by cooking just a little bit slower. Cook it on medium instead of cooking it at such a high temperature,” she said.

Grilling is a year-round favorite, but it can also cause fires if people are not careful. Here's how you can grill safely and prevent a fire.

Well-done, blackened meat also has much higher levels of these compounds - so consider limiting the exposure to this intense heat by not cooking animal proteins to super well-done levels.

Acidic marinades and herbs and spices can reduce the formation of HCAs by over 90 percent, according to the AICR, so cooking with the following can help to reduce potential exposure to these dangerous compounds:

  • lemon juice

  • vinegar

  • wine

“Considering that this makes things taste delicious and is a great way to make inexpensive foods taste better, that’s a win-win,” Collins said.

Overall, the AICR recommends that you reduce your risk by making overall lifestyle changes and eating healthier foods, generally. It's important to focus most meals around whole grains, fruits and vegetables, some of which contain phytochemicals that naturally deactivate harmful carcinogens.

"When we grill plant foods, the HCAs that we’re talking about can’t form. That only forms in animal products, so there's a big difference between grilling a grill full of hotdogs and grilling kabobs that have a little bit of meat and loads of delicious vegetables," she said. "You have to keep it in the big picture."

MORE TO EXPLORE:

Drone footage shows spectacular view of ghost town frozen in time
Photographer captures the most detailed images of snowflakes on record
Historians pinpoint the very 'worst year' ever to be alive
Drone captures striking images of polar bears turning weather station into Arctic playground

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Climate

4 critical climate indicators raised red flags in 2021

May 18, 2022
Weather News

116-year-old ‘ghost tracks’ unearthed following pesky coastal storm

May 18, 2022
Weather News

Melting glacier allows researchers to make ‘exceptional’ discovery

May 17, 2022
Weather Forecasts

AccuWeather's 2022 Europe summer forecast

May 17, 2022
Hurricane

AccuWeather forecasters keeping a close eye on the tropics

May 19, 2022
Weather News

Crews battle strong winds to rescue climbers trapped on Mt. Rainier

May 18, 2022
Severe Weather

Severe weather to rumble through storm-weary Midwest

May 19, 2022
Weather News

Deadly lightning-sparked oil fire caused chaos for 5 days

May 18, 2022
Hurricane

New study finds increase in Atlantic hurricanes linked to cleaner air

May 17, 2022
Astronomy

Reports of unidentified objects 'frequent, continuing,' officials find

May 18, 2022
Weather News

8th sandstorm since April turns everything orange, overwhelms Iraq

May 18, 2022
Severe Weather

Severe weather to focus from Missouri to North Carolina Thursday

May 19, 2022
video

Engineers develop enzyme that could provide a solution to the plastic ...

May 18, 2022
Health

Collars and chewables to keep your pup free of ticks and fleas

Apr. 28, 2022
Recreation

Try putting one of these on your porch or patio this year

May 12, 2022
Show More Show Less Chevron down

Topics

News & Features

AccuWeather Prime

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Top Stories

Health

Saharan dust cloud over the Atlantic may reach Gulf Coast by weekend

22 hours ago

Weather Forecasts

Surge of heat to bring hottest weather since last summer to Northeast

33 minutes ago

Winter Weather

Denver weather to go from high 80s to snow in a matter of just hours

43 minutes ago

National Park rangers ask visitors to be cautious this summer

2 days ago 1:14

Podcast: Introducing AccuWeather Premium Plus

More Stories

Featured Topic

Local Arthritis Forecast

Featured Stories

Last moments before Mount St. Helens eruption caught on camera Upgrade your spring wardrobe with these statement pieces Now is the time to pick up a new ride-on lawnmower for summer
AccuWeather AccuWeather Ready Grilling this weekend? Experts offer these tips to avoid hidden dangers
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Shop AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Weather Blogs Winter Weather
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Shop AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Weather Blogs Winter Weather
© 2021 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | TAG Disclosure | Do Not Sell My Data checkmark Confirmed Not Selling Your Data

We have updated our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

I Understand

Get AccuWeather alerts as they happen with our browser notifications.

Notifications Enabled

Thanks! We’ll keep you informed.

FEEDBACK