Cutting down on grilled meat may curb cancer risk

Recent studies show a link between cancer and grilled meat, but Duke University nutrition researchers offer ways to curb the risk.

First is cutting down on the amount grilled meat you eat by tossing vegetables and even fruit on the bar-b-que. Those foods don't have the proteins that, when exposed to high heat, creates a cancer-causing substance.

A recent study found that people who ate well-done meat, including red meat, chicken and fish, were 60 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.

"It doesn't mean if you eat well-done steak that you will get cancer, but it is more evidence to suggest a relationship exists between eating grilled meats and certain cancers," Denise Snyder, a nutrition research at the Duke School of Nursing, said in a statement.

Snyder suggests:

• Grilling at lower temperatures and positioning racks high from the heat source

• Microwaving meat first to give it a head-start

• Using thinner cuts of meat that cook quicker

• Flipping foods regularly

• Trimming fat from meats and avoiding smoke flare-ups

• Marinating meats first can reduce the formation of cancer-causing substance