Ultra-processed and fried foods which are rich in Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs) lead to chronic inflammation in the body, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, a government-funded study has shown.
The first-of-its-kind study in India by the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, an ICMR Centre for Advanced Research in Diabetes, revealed that low-AGE diets could be a potential strategy to reduce diabetes risk.
The study funded by the Department of Biotechnology published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition last week advocated the consumption of foods which are healthier and low in AGE.
Dr V Mohan, chairman of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, and Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre explained that the AGEs are formed in the blood.
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“But now we know that diet can also play a role in this. So there are diets which have high AGEs and diets which have low AGEs,” Dr Mohan said.
Diets with high AGEs include red meat, french fries and other fried foods, bakery products, paratha, samosa and sugary foods among others. Low-AGE food includes green leafy vegetables, fruits, fish, boiled items and brown rice, he said.
The study also pointed out that cooking methods like frying, roasting and grilling elevate AGE levels while boiling keeps them in check.
The study included 38 overweight and obese adults, aged 25 to 45 years, all of whom had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 23 and above.
The study which observed the participants for several months found that those who followed a low-AGE diet, their glucose levels and inflammatory markers were lower, Dr Mookambika Ramya Bai, a research scientist at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and first author of the study, said.
In contrast, those who ate high-AGEs foods had higher glucose levels, greater insulin resistance and more inflammatory markers in their blood.
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The rapid nutrition transition that has occurred in developing countries like India led to higher intakes of refined carbohydrates, fats and animal products. This, combined with a sedentary lifestyle, further increases the prevalence of obesity, diabetes and associated disorders, the study stated.
“The rise in the diabetes epidemic in India is primarily driven by obesity, physical inactivity and eating of unhealthy diets which are rich in AGEs,” Dr Mohan said.
Prevalence of diabetes, pre-diabetes and obesity is on the rise globally and in India, there are currently 101 million individuals with diabetes, the study said. Obesity is linked to insulin resistance, oxidative stress and inflammation, and thus, promotes the development of non-communicable diseases like type 2 diabetes.
The prevalence of obesity in India is 40 per cent and overweight or obesity has been linked with higher mortality. Diverse conditions such as diabetes, coronary artery disease and ageing in association with hyperlipidaemia, hyperglycaemia and oxidative stress can augment the levels of Advanced Glycation End-products, which are invariably seen in those with obesity, the study said.
