Smoked meat holds a cherished place in the realm of culinary delights. BBQ and friends or family are a perfect fit, particularly in a long summer evening’s slow breeze. The aroma of meat grilled on wood chips is irresistible, and the flavor is undeniable.
However, recent searches show the negative side of this calm picture. According to experts, the smoking process introduces harmful chemicals in food. This means it can cause severe health concerns, including cancer.
Is smoked meat terrible for you or not? You are in the right place if you are also looking for the answer. In this article, we discuss 5 reasons why you should avoid eating smoked meat. We also recommend some processes to reduce its effects. Let’s get straight into it:
Understanding the Smoking Process
Before dealing with health concerns, it’s crucial to understand the actual smoking process. Smoking is a method for food preservation. It also enhances flavor,, offering a tantalizing aroma.
Meat is smoked using wood or burning plant materials. However, harmful chemicals and microbes enter the meat during BBQ or grilling. This inhibits bacterial growth, extending meat’s life. But is it safe to eat smoked meat? Is smoked meat really bad for you?
Why is Smoked Meat so Bad?
When meat is cooked on wood or grills, smoke and flames reach the food, introducing harmful components that make smoked meat bad for your health.
Compounds like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or HCA’s and nitrosamines are released when wood is burnt. The aromatic rings of these compounds stick to the surface of meat. They also form when sauces of fats from food drip on hot charcoal. Consumption of these chemicals causes cancer, lung issues, digestion disorders, and other diseases.
5 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Eating Smoke Meat
In addition to cancer, smoked meat causes numerous harmful diseases. The risk of a certain illness depends upon cooking time and the type of wood used. Following are five main reasons why should you avoid eating smoked meat:
● Risk of Listeria contagion
Listeria infection is another foodborne illness caused by bacteria. People with weak immune systems, kids and old, are at risk of this infection. Moreover, pregnant women often develop this disease after eating a lot of processed food and smoked meat.
It can cause neck pain, diarrhea, cramps, fever, and muscle tension. In some cases, the symptoms include aches and nausea. People suffering from listeria contagion should consult a doctor and avoid eating unclean food.
● Stomach Infection
Most people ask why smoked meat is terrible for you. That is because it can cause severe indigestion issues and stomach infections. Eating contaminated meat leads to bacterial infections and causes foodborne diseases.
Stomach infection results in stomach pain, muscle pain, vomiting, and weakness. People suffering from severe and long-term stomach infections will likely develop double vision.
● Elevated Sodium Level
Sodium is used to preserve smoked meat. Eating this meat results in a surge of sodium content. Sodium content beyond a certain limit leads to high blood pressure.
Sometimes, salt with a high amount of sodium is used for the seasoning of meat, which makes it hard to digest. Consumption of it can cause cardiovascular issues and dehydration. In some cases, eating smoked meat leads to mineral and electrolyte misbalance. This results in kidney issues and a high level of obesity.
● Threat of Botulism
As we know, meat drip on wood originates from bacterial growth, which forms a layer on smoked meat. Botulism is a very dangerous bacterial disease caused by the smoking process.
Even low temperatures don’t kill these bacteria, which then become toxic and lethal. It directly attacks nerves, causing vomit and weakness. It can also affect eyesight and cause difficulty breathing and severe pain.
● High Risk of Stroke and Diabetes
Consumption of too much-smoked meat, mainly processed parts like hot dogs is very harmful. It increases the risk of heart issues, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. This is because of the high salt amount and other bacterial growth caused by the smoking process.
Is Smoke Meat Cancer Causing?
With a rise in cancer cases, the Nation Cancer Institute released several articles about the causes and effects of this illness. According to NCI research, HCAs and PAHs are the leading causes of cancer.
They function by changing DNA and increasing the risk of intestinal and stomach cancer. Also, intake of high amounts of smoked and processed meat results in breast cancer.
Recently, the WHO (World Health Organization) put smoked meat in the carcinogenic group. It clarifies the link between smoked meat and various cancers. Moreover, the intake amount per person is another factor in deciding whether smoked meat is bad.
Balancing Risks and Benefits
A balanced diet includes the right amount of food for all food groups. So meat is also important for better health. However, smoked meat is bad for you, but you can balance the risks and benefits at once:
● Keep it Moderate:
It is believed that excess of everything is terrible. Similarly, enjoying smoked meat occasionally is not harmful. One is subjected to illness if one continues to consume more and more.
● Pair with Nutritious Food:
You should eat a lot of veggies, fruits, and grains, along with smoked food. Smoking helps eradicate negative effects and bacterial growth, ultimately balancing your diet. It also provides essential vitamins and minerals to support overall health.
● Avoid Lean Cuts:
Smoked meat is not itself rotten, but the process it goes through is unhygienic. Bacterial growth starts when fats from cuts drip into charcoal. Avoiding it reduces its damaging effects.
● Grilled Meat:
Grilled meat takes a few minutes to cook, which makes it slightly less harmful. However, it is not as juicy as smoked meat but is slightly better for health.
Alternative Cooking Methods of Smoked Meat
Here are some easy alternative cooking methods for smoked meat.
● Marinating
Marinating is the process of adding ingredients like vinegar, citrus juice, and herbs to food before cooking and letting it marinate for some time. These ingredients have antioxidants. This process reduces the formation of PAHs and HCAs. The remaining ones are killed when subjected to high flame.
● Low-temperature Smoking
Adopt the traditional method of smoking meat. It involves cooking at a slightly low temperature for a long time, resulting in fewer harmful compounds on the meat’s surface.
Tips for Staying Healthy While Enjoying Smoked Meat
Nothing eradicates the influence of smoked meat. However, some precautions must be followed to maintain better health. Following are some tips to reduce its effects:
- Don’t eat cold smoked meat. Heat it to remove bacteria
- Lower the consumption to 8-12 ounces, which is the standard amount for a young and healthy person
- Avoid smoked meat, if possible, eat grilled or non-processed meat
- Use white meat, like chicken. No doubt they have HCAs, but they are much better than beef and pork
- Pork is the worst meat among all other types. Because it contains harmful fats and components that can severely damage your health
- Avoid eating smoked fish. It has the highest risk of contamination.
- Lessen the consumption of processed meat like hot dogs. They are the most harmful among all
- Try eating those with the most minor sodium level
- Use premium quality wood to reduce bacterial growth. Use hardwoods. They have fewer resins than pine
Final Verdict
The aroma and richness of smoked meat are irresistible for everyone. But have you ever wondered if Is smoked meat wrong for you? Yes, it is. Because eating more than enough of it can cause serious diseases. It can also lead to cancer and neurological issues if not treated on time.
Some tips, like moderate eating and cooking methods like grilling, reduce its effects. This article covers five main reasons to avoid meat and some tips and alternatives for enjoying smoked meat. In short, moderation and precaution are the keys to being safe and healthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is smoking meat terrible for your heart?
Yes, it contains carcinogens and high levels of sodium and fats. They lead to blood pressure and cardiac arrest.
2. Is the smoke from cooking meat harmful?
If you smoke meat on wood, the fumes are bad because they contain HCAs and PAHs in some amount.
3. Is smoked meat better than grilled?
No smoked meat comes with higher levels of contamination and bacteria. On the other hand, grilled meat has less harmful compounds as it is cooked quickly.