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Certain alcoholic beverages also neutralize heterocyclic amines. Sake, brandy, white wine and stout ale have all been shown to prevent heterocyclic amines from causing DNA damage. Ale was the most effective.

It would be great if the marinade manufacturers specifically designed meat and chicken marinades to lower production of these chemicals even further. Of course, they would be stuck. Under current law, they would be prohibited from making any health claims on the labels about the product's benefits regarding HCA neutralization.

The bottom line for anyone who wants to cook meat, whether chicken, beef, pork or anything else on the grill is simple – make sure to marinate all meats before cooking. When cooking ground beef, knead in herbs and/or vitamin E. Stick with skinless chicken if cooking poultry. Always accompany barbecued meat with a yogurt dish and a little alcohol, preferably stout ale; and use a yogurt salad dressing or even something as simple as frozen yogurt for dessert. And, remember that you can cook vegetables on the grill without the danger of heterocyclic amine formation – and increase the nutritional content of your meal at the same time. Talk to your doctor for more information.

BBQ the Safer Way

Here are some of the best way to ensure you enjoy the summer BBQ season without risking consumption of cancer-causing heterocyclic amines, formed when meat is cooked at high temperature:

	Go meatless: Heating any animal's flesh forms HCAs, but evidence suggests grilled vegetables do not make HCAs. Add vegetables to the menu so you eat less meat. Think of grilled corn, grilled asparagus, grilled mushrooms, etc. You'll be adding vegetables to your meal while reducing consumption of HCAs at the same time.
	Turn down the heat: Temperature is the most significant determinant of HCA formation; the higher the temperature, the more HCAs. A hot barbecue makes more HCAs than any other cooking method.
	Turn the meat often. Flip those burgers, chicken breasts and other meats. Frequent flipping prevents the meat from reaching as high a temperature and lowers the amount of HCAs formed. Lowering cooking temperature by 100 degrees cuts HCA formation by two-thirds.
	Try new ingredients: Cherries, prunes, apples, elderberries, pineapple, garlic, vitamin E and rosemary are some of the ingredients that significantly reduce HCAs in meat while cooking.
	Marinade any meat before grilling: Marinating beef steaks overnight with a teriyaki or turmeric-garlic sauce cut HCA by 60 percent in one study. Avoid high sugar and especially fructose-sweetened marinades, as they may triple HCA production. The simplest marinade: red wine; a red wine marinade for chicken breasts reduced HCA formation by 88 percent.
	Go skinless: Removing poultry skin cuts risk of prostate recurrence by half, so it's probably a good idea for the rest of us.
	Choose the right side dishes: It's not just beer that prevents HCAs from causing genetic damage. Chose side dishes that include any of these foods: green tea, black, and rooibos (red) tea; red wine, blueberries, blackberries, red grapes, kiwi, watermelon, parsley, and spinach greens.
	Eat cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and other members of the cruciferous family contain a chemical called sulforaphane that appears to neutralize HCAs' cancer-causing action.

Jacob Schor, ND, is a naturopathic physician practicing in Denver. He is a member of the board of directors of the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians. To learn more about Dr. Schor, visit www.denvernaturopathic.com/index.html.