A study funded by the government has revealed that consuming ultra-processed and fried foods high in Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs) can cause chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.
The Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, an ICMR Centre for Advanced Research in Diabetes, conducted the first-of-its-kind study in India, indicating that adopting low-AGE diets may help in lowering the risk of diabetes.
Recently published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, the study, supported by the Department of Biotechnology, recommends opting for foods that are low in AGE and healthier.
Dr. V Mohan, the chairman of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, and Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre, explained that AGEs are produced in the bloodstream.
"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.
Foods high in AGEs include red meat, french fries, fried foods, baked goods, paratha, samosa, and sugary foods.
Low-AGE foods consist of green leafy vegetables, fruits, fish, boiled items, and brown rice, according to Dr. Mookambika Ramya Bai.
The study also highlighted that cooking methods such as frying, roasting, and grilling increase AGE levels, while boiling helps to keep them low.
The research involved 38 overweight and obese adults, aged 25 to 45 years, all with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 23 or higher.
During the study, participants who adhered to a low-AGE diet showed lower glucose levels and inflammatory markers, as stated by Dr. Mookambika Ramya Bai, a research scientist at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and the study's first author.
Conversely, individuals who consumed high-AGE foods exhibited higher glucose levels, increased insulin resistance, and more inflammatory markers in their blood.
The study noted that the rapid nutrition transition in developing countries like India has led to increased consumption of refined carbohydrates, fats, and animal products, along with a sedentary lifestyle, contributing to higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and related conditions.
"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.
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