Spicing the Meat Also Cuts the Cancer Risk, Research Suggests
Date: 7.10.2010
Spices will do more than just enhance the taste of ground beef. They may also cut down on the risk of compounds that can cause cancer.
J. Scott Smith, a Kansas State University food chemistry professor, has pursued different projects in recent years seeking ways to reduce heterocyclic amines (HCAs).
Smith found that certain spices containing natural antioxidants would reduce HCA levels by 40 percent when applied to beef patties during cooking.
Smith's research team investigated six spices -- cumin, coriander seeds, galangal, fingerroot, rosemary and tumeric -- and found that the latter three had the highest levels of antioxidant activity toward inhibiting the formation of HCAs, with rosemary as the most effective.
For more information:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100518105801.htm
