Tasty & Healthy

Rosemary in Burgers and Steaks Helps Prevent Cancer

The popular herb has been proven to break down cancer-causing compounds in cooked meat

By Monica Gaza, Life & Style Editor

23rd of May 2008, 13:33 GMT

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If you're a big fan of red meat, then let me ask you this: have you ever found yourself craving a rosemary-flavored burger? Well, neither did the vast majority of the population in the fast-food loving modern societies around the

world. However, a recent study may very well change our perspective - and we might soon end up demanding that our minced meat contain a great deal of rosemary. Why? Because the precious seasoning has been proved to contain a series of substances that can help prevent cancer.

When beef for instance is cooked at high temperatures over a long interval, potentially cancer-causing compounds called HCAs (heterocyclic amines) form - but researchers from the Kansas State University, who conducted this study in the USA, have discovered that adding rosemary into the beef mix can break up HCAs, reducing the level of the harmful substances by 30 to 100 per cent due to its antioxidant action. Rosemary is in fact part of a whole group of herbs and spices rich in natural antioxidants, a group which also includes oregano, thyme, basil, mint, savory, sage and marjoram.

Rosemary can help prevent the appearance of cancer-causing substances in cooked beef

People who don't like the taste of rosemary can use rosemary extract. "Rosemary extracts shouldn't have much of an aroma to them. Most people don't want a rosemary-flavored burger. So if you get the extract you don't really know it's there", food science professor J. Scott Smith told ScienceDaily. Another possibility is to use the rosemary, combined with any or all of the previously mentioned spices, to marinate steaks before grilling them. You can also rub rosemary extract on burgers if you're not thrilled at the thought of adding the herb directly into the minced meat mix.

TAGS:

rosemary | meat | beef | hamburgers | cancer

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