If you prefer your steak cooked all the way through, we have some bad news for you: this cooking method is somewhat hazardous. Here's why a well-done steak can be worse for your health than meat that is still slightly pink.
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Incorrectly cooked meat
According to a Canadian institute for cancer research, high temperatures increase the development of chemical substances that are carcinogenic. A substance that can be produced during cooking is also suspected of promoting dementia.
But that's not all: the study suspects that heavily cooked meat increases the risk of allergies, diabetes and arthritis. So you should rethink your habits and eat rare steaks instead. You should also be careful with chicken breast. In certain cases, you should stay away from it.
Fear of threadworms somewhat unfounded
Those who cook their meat all the way through may do so because they are afraid of ingesting trichinae, a type of threadworm, along with their food. In Stern, however, nutrition expert Dagmar von Cramm explains that this fear is unfounded:
Trichinella inspection is so strict [...] that there is no longer any danger.
In the unlikely case that you introduce trichinae into your body, there is no real reason to panic. They can cause dizziness, abdominal pain and vomiting, and can cause fever and oedema when larvae are laid down, but as a rule, being infested with specific parasite remains rather harmless.
And for those of us who still can't stomach the idea, there is still the option of going vegetarian. While not ideal for your health, it is still perfectly manageable in modern countries, and with the help of proper nutritional supplements.
For more information on how to best cook your meat, check out the video above.
