A popular herb may help make cooking red meat safer.

Cooking meats may create carcinogenic compounds, especially if the meat is cooked at a high heat. However, a recent study reveals rosemary may minimize those compounds. In the study, adding a bit of rosemary extract to hamburger patty mixtures before cooking helped reduce the formation of the harmful substances.

Cooking beef, chicken, pork, and fish at high temperatures results in the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs), compounds that can cause genetic mutations that may increase the risk of colorectal, esophageal, prostate, and breast cancers. In a recent study, researchers compared the effects of rosmarinic acid and rosemary extract antioxidant powder on the formation of HCAs in ground beef patties fried at different temperatures for different amounts of time. Researchers found that antioxidants in both rosmarinic acid and rosemary extract reduced the formation of HCAs. To make cooked meat healthier, use the lowest temperature possible to raise the meat's temperature to the appropriate point to kill all food-borne pathogens. Turning the meat often on the skillet, grill, or broiling pan will help reduce the risk of overcooking and creating harmful compounds. Avoid eating overcooked or charred meats.

Effects of rosemary extracts on the reduction of heterocyclic amines in cooked beef patties. Smith, J. S., Tsen, S. Y., Abstract #1300-14, Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, February 27-March 4, 2005, Orlando, FL.