Raise a glass - 19 Jan 2009

By Bridget Farham

Let's start the week on a cheerful note. One of today's articles shows that if you marinate steak in red wine or beer you reduce its carcinogenic potential - what good news! In this land of red meat and braaivleis yet another use for red wine and beer can only be welcome.

Consuming regular braai meat is associated with an increase in stomach cancer - something that seems relatively prevalent in the South African community. More and more research is showing that cancer is yet another lifestyle disease, along with heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and diet is one aspect of lifestyle that can be controlled.

Of course, reducing the overall consumption of red meat would be a healthy option - not least because cows are responsible for the production of methane, which is a greenhouse gas - and so our increasing demand for protein is another contributer to climate change.

So, by reducing your consumption of red meat you are not only improving your health, but you are helping to reduce the amount of methane in the atmosphere - and climate change may also have a detrimental effect on health.

However, it seems that braaied chicken is equally full of carcinogens - but don't despair - marinating chicken in red wine or beer also reduces its carcinogenic potential - good news all around!