Cooking And Inflammation, Oxidation

Fried, Grilled, Pasteurized Foods Increase Inflammation

By Gabor Timis

Toxic chemicals produced when foods are cooked in certain ways encourage oxidation and inflammation, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) are harmful substances which are prevalent in Western diets, and form when foods are heated, pasteurized, dried, smoked, fried or grilled.
Once absorbed in the body, AGEs stick to tissues and oxidize them, causing inflammation which in turn can lead to disease.
Numerous animal studies have shown that oxidative stress from high oxidant levels and inflammation related to long-term exposure to AGEs increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and other chronic conditions.

Researchers conducted the study on 40 healthy people who were either between the ages of 18 and 45 or over the age of 60, plus nine people who suffered from kidney disease.
Participants were assigned to eat either a regular Western diet or a diet designed to contain the same amount of calories and other nutrients but with half the AGE content. This second diet was achieved by poaching, stewing or steaming foods rather than using other cooking methods.

“What is noteworthy about our findings is that reduced AGE consumption proved to be effective in all study participants, including healthy persons and persons who have a chronic condition such as kidney disease,” researcher Helen Vlassara said.

AGEs are addictive because they provide flavor to foods. But they can be controlled through simple methods of cooking, such as keeping the heat down and the water content up in food and by avoiding pre-packaged and fast foods when possible.

Also see: Daily apple reduces inflammation