American scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine in New York have published a study, entitled ‘Oral glycotoxins are a modifiable cause of dementia and the metabolic syndrome in mice and humans,’ which outlines how the consumption of grilled meats can be a trigger for the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Scientists have been aware for some time of the risks of glycation; the process by which high protein foods cooked at high temperatures form a chemical compound that is responsible for certain diseases, including Alzheimer’s. The black substance that forms on the surface of a well-cooked steak contains Advanced Glycation End Products (AGES) and consuming large amounts of AGES is suspected to speed up the development of dementia and mobility problems. This occurs because AGES interfere with the body’s production of SERT1, a compound that protects against the aging process.To prove this theory, scientists have analysed the differences between two groups of mice that were both fed with a diet rich in glycotoxins. The group that started the diet earlier were more likely to develop cognitive and metabolic changes. In addition, mice fed food rich in glycotoxins increased the amount of amyloid beta in their bodies; this is the same protein that forms the amyloid plaques that are found in the brains of sufferers from Alzheimer’s disease. A companion study analysed the results from a group of human subjects aged over 60 and found that those who were showing a decrease in mental capacity had higher levels of AGES in their system than those who were not affected.
It likely that the results of this study will form the basis for further research and more insights, as researcher Michael Woodward explains. He points out that it is a preliminary study and there is a need to collect data on a far larger scale in order to find out the best and healthiest ways to cook food. Other studies have already demonstrated that cooking methods may be responsible for the development of diseases such as dementia, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
World Health Day 2015 has been dedicated to food safety, and it is becoming more and more obvious that it is vitally necessary to be aware of now only what we eat, but how it is prepared, in order to keep us in good health. Grilling and frying meats at high temperatures may be causing us more harm than good.
For More Posts Go To Main Blog
0 comments:
Post a Comment