Beware Barbecue Lovers! Consuming Grilled Meat May Increase Kidney Cancer Risk

Meat cooked at high temperature likely to increase kidney cancer risk by as much as 50 percent, a new study warns.

According to a new health study conducted by University of Texas researchers, when meat is cooked at high temperatures, it releases certain cancer-causing chemicals which increase the risk of kidney cancer by as much as 50 percent, reported Reuters.

"We found elevated cancer risk associated with both meat intake and meat-cooking carcinogens, suggesting independent effect of meat-cooking carcinogens on RCC [renal cancer carcinoma] risk," said lead study author Dr. Xifeng Wu, as reported by The Independent.

"Our study provides additional evidence for the role of red meat, white meat in kidney cancer. Cooking meat on high temperatures results in the formation of carcinogens, including 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenyl-imidazo (4,5-b) pyridine (PhIP) and amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo(4,5-f) quinoxaline (MeIQx). These can be termed as real culprits in this phenomenon," said Wu.

For the purpose of the study, Dr. Xifeng Wu and his team at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center examined 659 patients just diagnosed with kidney cancer and compared them to 699 similar people without cancer.

The research team looked at what kinds of meat the respondents ate, how they prepared it, as well as their genetic makeup to check if certain genes made them more susceptible.

It was found that kidney cancer patients ate more meat-both red and white-compared to non-cancerous patients. The meat the kidney cancer ate was mostly cooked at high temperatures with methods including pan-frying, grilling, and barbecuing. Those in the cancer group also tended to consume less fruit, more calories and were more often obese, reported University Herald.

The research team reported that those with two genetic mutations that already put people at higher kidney cancer risk were most affected by the grilled meat risk.

Wu recommends limiting the amount of time the meat is cooked at really high temperatures or over an open flame resulting in burning, smoking, or charring of the meat.

It is to be noted that the research study only found a link between meat consumption and kidney cancer risk. It does not prove that eating meat prepared at high temperatures directly causes any cancer. More research is required to explore the connection.

The new study, published in the medical journal Cancer, follows the World Health Organization's announcement that processed meat - especially red meat - can significantly increase the risk of cancer.