“Guide to Eating Out Safely” Series: Will your stomach agree to eating barbecue?

Although barbecue is delicious, it poses certain risks to our health. It may be okay to try it once or twice occasionally, but eating it too much can cause harm to our bodies, especially our gastrointestinal health.

What are the dangers of eating barbecue?

Irritation and damage to the digestive tract

Grilled food is inherently hot and dry, and the use of hot and spicy seasonings such as chili peppers, pepper, and cumin during grilling can cause strong stimulation to the digestive system, and even cause severe burns and damage to the esophagus and gastrointestinal mucosa. These spicy foods can cause constipation or diarrhea, and are also prone to symptoms of getting angry, such as oral ulcers and acne. Some people drink iced drinks to cool down and relieve the spiciness, but the combination of ice and heat causes damage to the digestive tract and gastrointestinal disorders.

Risk of bacterial and parasitic infections

The texture of grilled meat, which is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, is fascinating, but if the heat is not right, bacteria or parasites may not be killed, posing a risk of infection. For example, some of the charcoal-grilled oysters and grilled scallops commonly seen at seafood barbecue stalls contain pathogenic bacteria such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which are highly heat-resistant and can only be killed at temperatures above 80°C; raw meat may also contain parasites and their eggs, such as tapeworms and cysticercosis.

Risk of cancer

The marinating process before grilling skewers is prone to produce carcinogenic nitrosamines; during the grilling process, the Maillard reaction occurs, and the harmful substances in the nucleic acids and amino acids in the meat when heated and decomposed will accumulate in the body for a long time, which may cause cancer; in addition, in the barbecue environment, some carcinogens will enter the human body through the skin, respiratory tract, digestive tract, etc. and induce cancer.

Prone to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases

Foods such as pork, beef and mutton are high in fat, and are marinated with a lot of oil and salt. If you eat barbecue for a long time, it will cause fat to accumulate in the body, increase the burden on the cardiovascular system, cause blood viscosity or blood vessel blockage, and easily cause cardiovascular disease. In addition, the purine content of barbecue skewers is high, and eating a lot of it will increase the risk of gout attacks and cause joint swelling and pain. If you eat barbecue and drink beer at the same time, it will be another damage, which will increase the uric acid content in the body and enter the "fast lane" of gout attacks.

How can we eat barbecue happily and healthily?

First of all, it is necessary to match meat and vegetables and eat in moderation. Many people eat mainly meat when they eat barbecue. If you want to eat healthier, you have to pay attention to the combination of meat and vegetables. Eating some vegetables in moderation, especially vegetables containing antioxidants, can reduce the harm of barbecue to the body and help relieve greasiness. In addition, vegetables are rich in cellulose, which has a good cleansing effect on the intestines and can help excrete toxic substances from the digestive tract. We can wrap barbecue with lettuce, which is not only refreshing and delicious, but also greatly reduces the harm to the body. In addition, while eating barbecue, you can drink some hot tea or barley tea appropriately to avoid alternating hot and cold stimulation, which can relieve spiciness and protect the gastrointestinal tract.

Secondly, try to sit in the upwind of the grill, because when grilling, grease drips onto the charcoal fire, which will produce harmful substances, adhere to the surface of the food, and emit some harmful gases, which are very harmful to the body after inhalation and consumption. It is also recommended to choose stewing as much as possible, the taste of grilled food is not much different from that of open fire, and it can also prevent the loss of nutrition in the food, which is relatively healthier.

Third, pay attention to the temperature of the grill. When grilling, try not to eat the burnt parts, because burnt food contains more harmful substances. Of course, try to grill it as well as possible to avoid parasites or gastroenteritis from eating half-cooked meat.

Fourth, use enough seasoning. When eating barbecue, if you put too much spicy seasoning, it will cover up the original taste of the ingredients. Put less seasoning and don't eat food with too strong taste.

This article was scientifically reviewed by Wang Tao, chairman of the Medical Science Popularization Creation Committee of the China Science Writers Association and director of the Emergency Department of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital.