BEEF IN ALECUTS CANCER DANGER.

Byline: BY MIKE SWAIN SCIENCE EDITOR

MARINATING steak in beer can help fight cancer, according to research by scientists.

They claim leaving a juicy steak in beer - or even wine - for six hours will slash the amount of cancer-causing compounds in the meat by 90 per cent.

The compounds, heterocyclic amines, are formulated when food is cooked at high temperatures.

Olive oil, lemon juice and garlic marinades have already been found to cut HCAs in grilled chicken.

But now scientists in Portugal have discovered marinades of beer and wine have the same effect on fried steak, the New Scientist reports.

For one type of HCA, beer was more effective than wine, cutting levels in four hours rather than six.

Beer contains more waterretaining sugar than wine - and researcher Isabel Ferreira says that could help reduce the HCA conversion rate.

Tasters also preferred the taste, smell and appearance of beer-marinated steak. Scientists have identified 17 different types of HCAs which pose a cancer risk from cooking meat.

Earlier research has found a link between cooked meats and stomach cancer.

In one study, scientists found people who liked their steaks medium or well done were three times more likely to contract cancer.

It is thought there is a higher cancer risk from frying and barbecuing meat because of the higher cooking temperatures.

CAPTION(S):

MEATY Marinating 'can cut cancer risk'; YOUR HEALTH Beer as ingredient