1
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,600
Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff from how stuff works dot com

2
00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,720
Speaker 1: where smart happens, and be sure to check out the

3
00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:09,320
Speaker 1: brain Stuff blog now on the how Stuff Works homepage.

4
00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:13,480
Speaker 1: This podcast is brought to you by Audible dot com,

5
00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:17,079
Speaker 1: the Internet's leading provider of spoken word entertainment. Get a

6
00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:19,919
Speaker 1: free audio book download of your choice when you sign

7
00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:24,040
Speaker 1: up today. Log on to audible podcast dot com slash

8
00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:30,720
Speaker 1: brain Stuff today for details. Hi, I'm Marshall brain with

9
00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:35,559
Speaker 1: today's question. Is it true that grilling meat can cause cancer?

10
00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,000
Speaker 1: If you've read the how stuff Works article on how

11
00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:42,360
Speaker 1: cancer works, then you know that there are many different

12
00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,839
Speaker 1: things that can cause cancer. You would think that cooking

13
00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,280
Speaker 1: meat over an open flame would not be one of

14
00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:52,879
Speaker 1: those things. However, unfortunately, it does appear that grilling, broiling,

15
00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:57,200
Speaker 1: or frying meat produces substances that do have a connection

16
00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,600
Speaker 1: to cancer. Heat has a general party of allowing chemicals

17
00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:04,760
Speaker 1: to change from one form to another. You see this

18
00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,200
Speaker 1: happen whenever you cook an egg. The heat changes the

19
00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:11,600
Speaker 1: proteins in the egg and solidifies them. In the case

20
00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,240
Speaker 1: of meat, high temperatures convert things like fat in the

21
00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:23,119
Speaker 1: meat into substances called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

22
00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:27,360
Speaker 1: are groups of benzene rings, and like benzine itself, these

23
00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,520
Speaker 1: rings can be modified in the body to produce new

24
00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,600
Speaker 1: chemicals that do damage DNA. How much of a risk

25
00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,760
Speaker 1: does well done meat represent It seems like it is

26
00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:42,280
Speaker 1: a noticeable difference. For example, women who eat a lot

27
00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,759
Speaker 1: of well done meat seem to have a much higher

28
00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:47,720
Speaker 1: rate of breast cancer. If you want to avoid these

29
00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:51,640
Speaker 1: risks completely, boiling meat is a good way to prepare it.

30
00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,560
Speaker 1: Do you have any ideas or suggestions for this podcast?

31
00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,640
Speaker 1: If so, please send me an email at podcast at

32
00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,320
Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com. For more on this and

33
00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:06,520
Speaker 1: thousands of other topics, go to HowStuffWorks dot com.