Serving Up Steak With a Side of Toxins
Fancy a dinner date with the devil?
You can have exactly that if you happen to be vacationing at the Canary Islands of Spain...
On the island of Lanzarote, there's a restaurant called Restaurante El Diablo (which translates to "the devil").
You won't find a normal commercial kitchen in the back. Instead, the chefs use a giant grate placed right on top of a geothermal vent... grilling your meat atop a volcano.
The gently simmering pool of lava located six feet below the grates reaches temperatures around 752 degrees Fahrenheit. It's the ultimate extreme barbecue, no charcoal or propane required.
You probably don't have a volcano in your backyard... But with Memorial Day right around the corner, millions of Americans will be dragging their grills out of hibernation to kick off the summer.
While your backyard setup likely doesn't reach magma-level temperatures, it still gets plenty hot enough to transform an innocent steak into a dish chock-full of cancer-causing compounds.
In today's issue on grilling safety, we'll explain what these harmful compounds are and how they're formed. And we'll share a few simple tricks to stay safe this Memorial Day weekend and into the summer...
The Cancer-Causing Chemicals in Cooked Meat
Longtime readers already know about my love for bacon.
And don't even get me started on the juicy, drip-down-your-chin goodness of Maryland's pit beef or a hog at a North Carolina pig pickin'.
But this time of year, as folks are dusting off their grills, I get a lot of questions on grilling safety – namely, on how it can be dangerous to your health.
For barbecuing and grilling, we'll focus on three main compounds known to cause cancer: HCAs, PAHs, and AGEs.
1. Heterocyclic amines ("HCAs") form when amino acids in the meat hit the sugars that are released during cooking in a process called the Maillard reaction. This chemical reaction is responsible for the roasted aroma, flavors, and browning of foods.
Typically, HCAs form only in high temperatures. Frying, roasting, and grilling all produce HCAs. But there's some evidence that longer cooking periods (think 12-hour barbecues) also produce them.
2. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons ("PAHs") are much more prevalent in barbecue than in other cooking methods. That's because PAHs form when fat drips down into the heat source and turns to smoke. That smoke contains PAHs... and it seeps into the meat (ever seen the smoke ring on ribs or brisket?). Think about how tasty grilled and barbecued food is – that's all from PAH-filled smoke.
3. Advanced glycation end products ("AGEs") form when proteins combine with sugars in the meat and brown when heated. That's what gives meat its distinct flavor when cooked... and it shows as the brown color on the outside.
Our bodies make AGEs as normal byproducts. But when we eat, we also absorb about 10% to 30% of the AGEs in our food. What's more, AGEs accumulate in tissue, which can increase oxidative stress and inflammation... These are both major contributors of chronic illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. Several studies even show AGEs may contribute to osteoarthritis since these compounds build up in the joints.
Time, temperature, and distance each play major roles in the formation of these chemicals...
How to Grill Safely This Summer
Cooking for longer periods and at lower temperatures reduces the levels of these compounds. That's why barbecuing "low and slow" typically means fewer problems. Cooking food to well done or charring it means it contains lots of these compounds, including AGEs. If you still choose to grill, try reducing the heat and cooking a bit longer.
But don't overcook your meat...
When grilling, I recommend medium or medium-rare temperatures. Research has tied well-done and charred meat to higher risk of colon and pancreatic cancers. In fact, we highly recommend investing in a decent meat thermometer to avoid overcooking. Test the thickest part of the meat to make sure the meat is cooked all the way through.
Similarly, indirect heat cuts the exposure to these chemicals. That means using cooking methods such as boiling, steaming, or stewing. Cooking with lower temperatures – by using a slow cooker or sous vide machine – also lowers your risk. In your grilling setup, you can do this by moving the coals to one side and flipping the meat frequently.
Now, I know this might be controversial, but you can also enlist a certain sous chef in the cooking process: your microwave. Pre-cooking meat in the microwave before chucking it on the grill can reduce PAH levels. Because you're partially cooking the meat, it needs less time over the flames, which means it'll create less PAH-containing smoke.
Choosing the right type of meat can help, too. One study from the Food Standards Agency in London found that beef burgers had much higher PAH levels than sausages. That's because the patties have a higher surface area and they also drip fat directly into the heat source, which smokes up. On the other hand, the sausage casings tend to prevent some PAH exposure and keep fat from dripping as much on the grill. Just remember to turn with tongs and avoid using forks, which poke holes in the casings.
The London study also found that when fat fell into a drip pan instead of onto the heat source, PAH levels dropped 10-fold in the meat. That's a good reason to consider either using a drip pan or putting foil on your grill.
Overall, researchers tested four different methods of cooking: frying, grilling, barbecuing, and roasting. They tested both professional kitchens and in-home cooking. They also used charcoal, charcoal-plus-wood, and gas grills. Of all their extensive tests, meat cooked in charcoal and wood-chip barbecues had the highest concentration of PAHs. So if you're really concerned about these extra chemical compounds, consider going with a gas grill.
I'm not about to give up my grilled steaks or slow-cooked barbecue ribs. Instead, try this simple way to cut both HCAs and PAHs: Marinate them.
According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, an easy marinade made from beer cut PAHs by more than half in cooked pork. Similarly, a study from Kansas State University found that spice rubs containing high levels of antioxidants cut HCA formation by 80%. These antioxidants neutralize the harmful free radicals.
Planning on taking the festivities indoors and using your air fryer instead? You're not safe from these toxic compounds, either. But marination still works as an effective strategy for knocking down levels of those compounds, even when using the air fryer...
A 2025 study published in Food Science and Biotechnology looked at the effects of marinating chicken and beef prior to air frying. As it turns out, marinating chicken in milk or beer for 30 minutes in the fridge (and turning the meat over halfway through for an even coating of the marinade) slashed HCA levels by nearly 61%.
Me, I love using a beer-spice mix or an olive oil with flavorful antioxidant-rich spices like rosemary and oregano.
And while it might not exactly be a traditional staple in American grilling and barbeque recipes (except maybe in some parts of the South), one of my favorites is turmeric. This anti-inflammatory spice adds earthiness to the taste and a gorgeous golden appearance to the color.
Researchers in that 2025 Food Science and Biotechnology study also tested turmeric, rosemary, and garlic rubs on beef prior to cooking. All three ingredients helped suppress HCA formation. But turmeric took the top spot, reducing HCA levels by nearly 70% and acrylamide levels by almost 57%.
That's because herbs and spices come packed with polyphenols. These plant-based compounds act as antioxidants, scavenging and neutralizing unstable free-radical molecules needed to drive the chemical reactions that form HCAs.
Speaking of plant-powered protection, don't forget the veggies...
Grill up some vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, and asparagus for a big boost of antioxidants.
And serve up some fresh greens – the more bitter, the better... The chemicals that make arugula (my favorite), mustard greens, dandelion greens, radicchio, and kale bitter also trigger the release of saliva, digestive enzymes, and bile, all of which make digesting the protein and fat in that chunk of meat easier.
I like noshing on a salad with bitter greens while the meat cooks to get my digestive juices going. It helps me avoid the post-meal bloat and tiredness so I can get my daily post-lunch walk in.
Got any good grilling tips? Send them over to feedback@healthandwealthbulletin.com. And for more monthly health and wealth insights, give my flagship newsletter a shot.
Earlier this week, we released a brand-new report for my Retirement Millionaire subscribers, "Playbook for the Rich at 70." This report collects and updates my recommendations on a host of retirement topics. As my calculations will show, folks who follow my advice can increase their nest eggs by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
What We're Reading...
- Something different: El Diablo and four other remarkable restaurants from around the world.
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
May 21, 2026