How healthy is your grilled/barbecued food

Grilling is the direct exposure of food to heat- roasting over open fire. In Texas and Africa (oh how we love Suya, grilled plantain, borle fish by the road side), almost every one likes barbecued food, so yummy but what happens when food is grilled. Grilling food helps to keep its flavor without additional fats. Grilling vegetable helps retain moisture, nutrients and flavor, making it a healthy cooking choice. It is excellent for preparing vegetables such like egg plant, peppers, apple, Zucchini, peaches, mushrooms etc. However, there is a down side to grilling, that isn't so good:

• Grilling temperature is high temperature- it burns the top layer of food very quickly releasing acrid fumes.
• It can cause fire outbreak
• When grilling animal food, the fat from the meat drips onto hot coals and are deposit into the grilled meat through the smoke creating a cancer causing substance called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
• The heating of meat, poultry and fish at high temperatures creates a carcinogenic substance called heterocyclic animes (HCAs), which has been linked to cancer in animals.
• Fried or boiled meat especially red meat are linked to the increase of certain kinds of cancer like colon cancer.
• When food containing nitrite as a preservative are heated a carcinogenic nitrosamines is formed; although there are no concrete evidence as to how this substance causes cancer in animals  or how it correlates to causing disease in humans however, the epidemiological evidence suggest that foods cooked at a high temperature should be consumed in moderation or avoided completely.

Tips for grilling healthy:

• To reduce the risk that comes with eating grilled food you can combine them with certain protective nutrients. Vitamin C and E, beta-carotene and other antioxidants can help to neutralize some of the carcinogens by blocking the chemical reaction that generates nitrosamines.
• Balance grilled food with a glass of vitamin C-rich citrus organic juice.
• Bioflavonoids helps to block some carcinogens.It is a pigment found in many fruits and vegetables. This substance binds directly to carcinogens such as polycyclic hydrocarbons; it helps prevent it from binding to DNA.
• Wheat bran binds with nitrite and makes it unavailable for nitrosamine formation. Fiber may bind with or dilute carcinogens and also it can speed up its elimination from the digestive tract.
• When you barbecue, serve lots of leafy greens and whole grains along with the meat or fish to ensure a healthy mixture of fiber and vitamins.
• Choose a Vegetarian barbecue. I would not grill fruits but if you do grill fruits, it is a colorful cocktail way to end a meal with vitamin, fiber and flavors.
• Avoid flare ups, if the smoke from grill is heavy - rotate the grill or reduce the heat or move it onto another section of the grill.
• Avoid placing heat directly on food.  Place the coals slightly to the side so that fat drips do not drip on coals.
• Keep water close to help you quench flare up or to stop the fire.
• Avoid animal fat grilled food.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

MSG is a toxic food ingredient, a compound known as an excitotoxin which are proteins that cause brain cells to fire impulse rapidly when in contact. Cells become hyper excited and continually fires until cell is exhausted and dies. MSG is not just sensed by taste buds in our tongues. It triggers and excites neurons in the brain, free glutamatic acid is able to reach the brain where it can injure and kill the neurons.

The food industry continues to add these ingredient in the processing of our food, despite the fact that we get negative reactions from glutamic acid.

MSG is found in so many things we like that taste so good but are unhealthy. MSG gives food an additive taste, so you want more and more. MSG is found in soup like packet noodle soup, salad dressing, Chip, frozen entries, restaurant/fast food such as Chinese/Asian, McDonald, food flavorings, Infant formula, Dietary supplement, Pesticides and fungicides used on fruits and vegetables, drugs and vaccines, cosmetics and the list continues.

The following ingredients always contain MSG

• glutamate
• monosodium glutamate
• monopotassium glutamate
• yeast extract
• hydrolyzed protein
• glutamic acid 
• calcium caseinate
• sodium caseinate
• yeast food
• hydrolyzed corn
• gluten
• gelatin
• textured protein
• yeast nutrient
• autolyzed yeast
• natrium glutamate
• hydrolyzed oat flour.

Frequent indication of MSG additives

• Malt extract
• Bouillon
• Stock
• Flavoring
• Natural Flavoring
• Natural pork, Beef or Chicken Flavoring
• Seasoning
• Broth
• Spices

The following ingredients may contain MSG or are created during processing

• Carrageenan
• natural flavorings
• malt flavoring
• whey protein concentrate
• whey protein
• whey protein isolate
• malt extract
• soy protein isolate
• some soy sauce
• soy sauce extract
• maltodextrin
• citric acid
• ultra pasteurized
• barley malt
• pectin
• protease
• some protein enzymes
• anything enzyme modified.

MSG contributes to health crises, like obesity epidemic, migraine headaches, asthma, Diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, sleep disorders, Irritable bowel syndrome, Lou gehrig's disease, Attention deficient disorder (ADD), seizures and strokes, depression, heart irregularities, skin rashes, 25% of U.S population suffer allergic reactions from MSG.   

There evidence that MSG causes retinal degeneration, kills brain cells -- leading to behavior disorders, learning disabilities, reproductive disorders,  obesity, and more. Look at the data.

How to avoid MSG: Buy raw organic food, preservative free food, washing your fruit and vegetables thoroughly before consuming, become knowledgeable about these ingredient so that you can identify it and avoid it. The diagram above is an illustration picture of what contains MSG.

Onyinye A