HCA
Meaning of HCA: HCA refers to heterocyclic amines, chemical compounds formed when meat is cooked at high temperatures and classified as possible carcinogens.
Definition of HCA
HCA stands for heterocyclic amine, a type of chemical compound that forms when meat, poultry, or fish is cooked using high temperature methods such as grilling, frying, or broiling, particularly when the surface of the food becomes well browned or charred.
Heterocyclic amines form through reactions between amino acids, sugars, and creatine naturally present in muscle tissue when it is exposed to high heat, and the amount produced generally increases with cooking temperature and cooking time.
Heterocyclic amines have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animal studies, and based on this evidence, some health agencies classify them as possible human carcinogens, though establishing a direct cancer causing effect in humans from ordinary dietary exposure is more difficult to confirm than in a controlled laboratory setting.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
The patient asked whether well done grilled meat was a significant source of HCA exposure.
Good to know
Heterocyclic amines are classified as possible carcinogens largely based on animal studies using high doses, a different level of evidence than a confirmed cause of cancer in humans from ordinary dietary exposure.