Why You Should Not Overcook Your Meat

There is paranoia among some people about "undercooked" meat.  If it is not browned all the way through, you think you are going to get food poisoning.  The idea that rare meat is dangerous is not new.  When a meat is cooked rare, or medium rare, part of the center usually retains a lot of similarity to its original texture, thus some are convinced it is still raw.  This fear is unfounded, and what is often not realized is that there is actually just as much to be afraid of by overcooking your meat as there is not cooking it enough.  While these effects are not as immediate as food poisoning, over time they can lead to lack of nutrition and risk of disease.

You risk more than just loss of flavor when you overcook your steaks.

Author: BrokenSphere, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

 

Damage to Amino Acids

 

In meat, you acquire complete proteins, including branched chain amino acids.  However, many of these amino acids can be destroyed or compromised by excess cooking.

 

Dangerous Compounds

 

Two classes of compounds are formed when meat undergoes excess heat for too long.  Heterocyclic amines (HA), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).  What is the problem with these two compounds?  Well, they are both carcinogenic.  Eating enough of these, over a long enough period of time, is an avenue of potential long term exposure and higher risk of disease.  One compound in particular, acrylamide, is an exceptional culprit.  It is also formed in fried foods.

 

Inhibits Digestion

If food reaches an excessively high temperature, it can change its composition enough that it is more difficult for the body to both digest and absorb.  That means you will only get a fraction of the available proteins, fats, and micronutrients.

If food sits in the stomach and intestines for too long, it can partially ferment and cause irritation to both.  That will make your eliminations less regular, rendering you more susceptible to things such as colon cancer.  This is also yet another reason that processed foods are harmful.

Breaks Down Some Nutrients

In addition to the problem of your body being able to digest and absorb nutrients, some of them will also be destroyed by excess temperature.  Some micronutrients and vitamins will break down due to thermal cleavage of bonds, and will thus be rendered useless to the system once they are taken in.