Eating grilled meat – drinking cold beer is harmful?

Eating grilled meat and drinking cold beer is a favorite dish of many people, however, these two foods combined together will be harmful to health, especially if eaten regularly for a long time.

Beer is an alcoholic beverage (ethanol). When entering the body, alcohol is metabolized through the liver into new compounds, including acetaldehyde – a compound that can cause serious liver damage. If you consume too much beer over a long period of time, acetaldehyde will accumulate, causing hepatitis, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer.

With grilled meat, when exposed to high temperatures, the chemical structure of the protein in the meat changes, forming harmful substances, including two types of carcinogens: heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These are mutagens, causing changes in the cell’s DNA, which lead to cancer. Heterocyclic amines are formed from the reaction between animal protein and heat, while polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons develop when meat fat drips, smokes and sticks to the meat.

When eating grilled food, the liver has to process these compounds. Drinking beer with it also creates a “double burden”, making this organ more vulnerable to damage, and in the long run, it also causes many health risks.

The best way is to limit the amount of beer you drink when you eat grilled food. You can use non-alcoholic drinks or fruit juices to reduce the pressure on the liver. In addition, marinating meat before grilling (with lemon juice, basil or mint) can significantly reduce some carcinogens because the reaction leading to the formation of heterocyclic amines only occurs on the shallow layer of 3-4 mm of the meat surface.

You can also precook the meat to reduce grilling time, limit direct flame exposure to the meat, or try a lower temperature. You can also try placing the meat on foil or placing the food on a higher rack to reduce exposure to open flames. Turning the meat frequently can also reduce charring and help prevent carcinogens from forming.