Add rosemary to your steak to prevent cancer

London, May 24 (UNI) The herb rosemary till now used mainly for its flavour has the property to help prevent cancer, scientists claim.

Adding the herb to hamburgers can break up potentially cancer-causing compounds called HCAs (heterocyclic amines) which form when meat is cooked.

Researchers at Kansas State University showed that adding rosemary to beef patties reduced levels of HRAs by 30 to 100 per cent, due to the herb's antioxidant properties.

There is an added option of using rosemary extract for those meat-lovers who do not like the flavour of rosemary.

''Rosemary extracts shouldn't have much of an aroma to them.

Most people don't want a rosemary-flavored burger. So if you get the extract you don't really know it's there,'' Daily Mail quoted food science professor, J Scott Smith as saying.

Rosemary is among a group of herbs and spices which are rich in antioxidants including basil, mint, sage, savory, marjoram, oregano and thyme.

Marinating with any of these spices adds a healthy boost to grilling steaks, just as rubbing rosemary extracts onto burgers is being called beneficial.

Antioxidants also have additional benefits, with studies showing how they can help protect the pancreas as well.

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