BBQ meat causes low birth weight: research

By Bahk Eun-ji

Pregnant women who eat red meat cooked over an open flame or fried in oil are at high risk of delivering a lower-weight baby, according to research.

An Inha University research team traced 778 pregnant women in their 12th to 28th weeks from 2006 to 2011 with teams from Ewha Womans University and Seoul National University.

The subjects were separated into nine groups based on the amount and frequency of meats ― beef, pork and fish ― they consumed. The first group “rarely ate” meat while the second did “once in a month” and the last group “three times a day.”

Among the subjects, 52 percent ate meat cooked with high heat.

The difference between the weights of babies born to those in the first group and the last group was 174 grams at most, the research said. The study said that when red meat is cooked with an open flame’s high heat, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are created. The chemical alters parts of DNA that could result in a greater cancer risk. The toxic substance can also damage placenta blood vessels and possibly affects a fetus’ weight and head size, the research said.

“With regard to the research result, it is recommended pregnant women consume meats that are boiled in water or steamed to help their daily intake of protein,” said Leem Jong-han, a professor at the Inha University School of Medicine.

The research was published in a recent issue of Public Health Nutrition.