Recently, a new study from researchers at the Gyeongsang National University and the University of South Australia shows that grilling meat or cooking it in similar dry methods can make it harmful. More precisely, the findings of the research suggest that following the aforementioned ways of cooking can lead to the production of advanced glycation end products.
Advanced glycation end products or AGEs are a type of protein which have been associated with dangerous and long-term health conditions including diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke as well as many other conditions.
The present medical literature and guidelines suggest that people should avoid foods rich in the proteins as much as they can in order to prevent the development of medical conditions in the future. AGEs are also produced by the body naturally but they are always in a controlled amount.
The proteins are not harmful when consumed in the safe amount but they can become an issue if a person eats too much AGEs-rich foods.
However, most of the people are unaware of the foods the proteins can be present in.
In fact, they are present in some of the foods which are considered healthy, such as grilled red meat.
Steaks and grilled burgers or sandwiches are a popular food item among all communities in the US and even other countries in the world.
While they are a good option especially for a gathering or a cookout, the recent medical evidence suggests that grilling may not be the healthiest option. To reach this conclusion, the researchers looked at two different groups of people who consumed an entirely different diet.
One of the groups had a diet rich in red meats while the other consumed a diet based primarily on whole grains and white meat.
After a time period of four weeks, the researchers examined the levels of AGEs in the blood of the participants.
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It was then discovered that people who consumed red meats had far higher levels of the proteins in their blood in comparison with those who had white meat. The white meat was often cooked by people in different ways while most of the participants, who consumed red meats preferred steaks or any other grilled variant.
According to the researchers, in addition to the cooking method, red meats tend to raise the levels of AGEs generally as well. Therefore, it is suggested that not only should people switch their cooking method more often but also control their consumption of red meats overall.
This is because the consumption of red meat does not only raise the levels of dangerous proteins but has also been associated with multiple health conditions including certain forms of cancers.
In order to avoid any such health problems in the future, health experts suggest consuming more whole grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Instead of red meats, try switching to lean proteins or white meat such as chicken or fish as they are not harmful.