According to American researchers, eating overcooked meat increases the risk of developing bladder cancer.
A study by researchers at the University of Texas followed 1,700 people over a period of 12 years. It found that charred meat contains cancer-causing chemicals called heterocyclic amines.
People who eat well done meat are two and a half times more likely to get bladder cancer than people who love their meat rare. This risk is especially present with beef steaks and pork but also chicken and fried fish.
Researchers point out that the presence of certain genes makes some people genetically more at risk of developing bladder cancer.
Lead researcher Xifeng Wu told the American Association for Cancer Research: "These results strongly support what we suspected – people who eat a lot of red meat, particularly well-done red meat, such as fried or barbecued, seem to have a higher likelihood of bladder cancer."
There is an estimated 7,000 new cases of bladder cancer diagnosed each year with 1,850 people losing the battle.