FOCUSING ESPECIALLY ON CANCER, THE PROF REMARKED THAT STUDIES TO TRY TO LOOK AT THE AETIOLOGY OF THE DISEASE, TO FIND OUT WHERE IT ALL STARTED, TRACED THE INCIDENCE OF CANCER IN NIGERIA TO SUYA CONSUMPTION.
THIS HE SAID WAS BECAUSE “DURING PREPARATION OF SUYA, THE MEAT IS COOKED OVER AN OPEN FIRE, AND OILS FROM THE MEAT UNDERGO COMPLEX CHEMICAL REACTIONS THAT PRODUCE TOXINS SUCH AS HETEROCYCLIC AMINES, HCAS THAT ARE CARCINOGENIC (CANCER-CAUSING) IN NATURE. THE MORE WELL-DONE A MEAT IS COOKED, THE HIGHER CONCENTRATION OF CARCINOGENIC HCA’S CAN FORM.”
AS A WAY TO PREVENT THE FORMATION OF THESE HCAS, THE NUTRITIONIST EXPLAINED WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO EAT THE SUYA WITH THE NECESSARY SPICES, ONIONS AND VEGETABLES.
ONIMAWO FURTHER SAID THAT ONE OF THE OUTCOMES OF THE FINDINGS WAS THAT WOMEN WHO CONSUME SUYA, ARE MORE PRONE TO CANCER (BREAST CANCER) THAN MEN BECAUSE THEY (WOMEN) TEND TO CONSUME JUST THE SUYA AND IGNORE THE VEGETABLES.
MEN EAT ONIONS, WOMEN EAT SUYA: “THIS IS PRACTICALLY PROVEN. MANY YOUNG MEN, TAKE GIRLS OUT AND BUY SUYA TO ENTERTAIN THEM. NORMALLY, APART FROM THE SPICES SPRINKLED ON THE MEAT, THE SUYA IS SERVED WITH SLICES OF ONIONS, CABBAGE AND TOMATOES IN SOME CASES.
“THE ONION AND OTHER VEGETABLES ARE ACTUALLY ADDED TO ACT AS ANTIDOTE TO THE EFFECT OF THE OIL FROM THE SUYA. ONIONS NEUTRALISE THE OXIDATIVE EFFECT OF THE CHEMICALS IN THE OIL AND HELP PREVENT CANCER, BUT BECAUSE THE YOUNG MAN WANTS TO IMPRESS THE GIRL, HE WILL BE EATING THE ONIONS, WHILE THE GIRL EATS THE SUYA. AT THE END OF THE DAY HE IS PREVENTING CANCER, UNKNOWINGLY, WHILE THE GIRL IS EATING THE CANCER.
HE STRRESSED THAT “MUCH OF THIS INFORMATION NEEDS TO BE MADE MORE AVAILABLE.
A NUMBER OF STUDIES SUPPORT THE USE OF LOCAL SPICES SUCH AS GINGER, CLOVE, RED PEPPER, BLACK PEPPER, ONION, THYME, OREGANO AND GARLIC IN A MEAT MARINADE BEFORE GRILLING AND THESE WOULD DRASTICALLY REDUCE ANY CARCINOGENS THAT NORMALLY WOULD FORM ON GRILLED MEAT.
THE SUYA SAUCE, A.K.A. YAJI, COMPRISING MOST OF THESE SPICES IS BELIEVED TO HELP AMELIORATE POSSIBLE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THE ROASTED RED MEAT.
