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During grilling, various chemical compounds are created that are toxic to the body. Recently, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been increasingly mentioned among them. AGEs cause chronic inflammation in the body, may be responsible for complications in diabetes, increasing the risk of heart disease, dementia, and accelerating the aging process. However, the amount of glycotoxins in grilled food can be reduced by following a few rules.

Grilled dishes can be beneficial to he alth if prepared properly. However, we often unknowingly increase the toxicity of grilled foods through inappropriate cooking techniques.

Too high temperature, contact of food with fire or allowing the products to carbonize lead to the production of substances that are toxic to the body.

They include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, formed as a result of fat pyrolysis, i.e. combustion at high temperature without oxygen, and heterocyclic aromatic amines, which are the result of protein pyrolysis.

They are carcinogenic. It has recently been known that advanced glycation end products (AGEs, glycotoxins) are also of great importance for he alth.

Glycotoxins - what are they?

Until now, it was believed that the end products of glycation, which are formed during food processing, are not a problem for human he alth. However, recent studies show that 10% of ingested AGEs are absorbed into the body.

AGE is a very wide group of compounds that is produced by the body in metabolic processes, and in food it is formed as a result of the reaction of reducing sugars with the amino acid asparagine, the so-called Maillard reaction.

These are typical processes that occur in food when exposed to high temperatures, causing the surface of the product to turn brown, shaping its flavor and aroma.

The production of AGEs in the body is very slow, and the accumulation of these compounds occurs over a long period of time and is related to the age of the body. Young people have a much lower AGE level than elderly people.

Excess AGE in the body leads to increased oxidative processes, causes inflammation and leads to diseaseschronic, incl. cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes, kidney diseases and also accelerates the aging process.

Worth knowing

One grilled sausage is more harmful to your he alth than … a pack of cigarettes

During grilling, various chemical compounds are created that are more toxic to the body than … cigarettes. 200 grams of sausage cooked on a charcoal grill provides 100 times more harmful substances than 20 smoked cigarettes, argue scientists from the Warsaw University of Technology.

According to the researchers, grilling with charcoal is a big mistake, because the grill begins to emit toxins at the moment of lighting it up. Before we even put meat or vegetables on it, the grill emits four carcinogens, and there are those who spend up to 20 minutes when lighting a charcoal grill.

After placing food on the rack, it gets even worse. Then we inhale and absorb as many as 13 out of 16 harmful substances. Moreover, when cooking meat, fat drips into the fire, which causes the release of additional carcinogenic toxins, mainly dangerous to the large intestine. However, the most dangerous smoke for the grower is the smoke from the rendered fat.

How to grill vegetables? [TO VIDEO]

Where are glycotoxins found and how are they formed?

The level of AGE in the body depends on the diet. The most of these compounds are found in animal protein products: beef, cheese, poultry, pork, fish and eggs.

Their formation also in other products is strongly influenced by heat treatment at high temperature.

The most dangerous to he alth in terms of the formation of glycotoxins is frying and grilling. The higher the processing temperature, the lower the water content and the longer the cooking time, the more AGE is formed in the food.

Effects of glycotoxins on he alth

Studies show that high consumption of glycation end products with food is associated with elevated blood levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen and TNFα.

At the same time, low consumption of AGEs results in a visible decrease in the level of these indicators. Animal studies have shown that avoiding AGEs in the diet helps to avoid chronic diseases and aggravated aging processes. Supplying glycotoxins with food can affect the occurrence of many diseases.

Diabetes

People with diabetes have persistent inflammation that can be sustained by AGE from their diet. AGEs were also found in the retina of the eye, which indicates that these compounds aggravate eye diseases.

In addition, diabetics have larger onesAGE levels in peripheral nerves, suggesting that glycation end products play a role in common nervous system disorders associated with diabetes.

Heart disease

AGEs can affect the he alth of the heart and blood vessels. Comparing groups of people with different glycotoxin intakes, it was found that those who consumed the most glycotoxins had the highest risk of heart disease.

AGEs attach to certain proteins in blood vessels, reducing their elasticity and increasing the risk of damage. They also have the ability to oxidize LDL lipoproteins, which makes them more easily deposited in the walls of the arteries and increases the risk of atherosclerosis.

Kidney disease

It has been found that decreased kidney function is associated with increased levels of circulating AGEs in the blood. Kidney function improved in overweight and obese people who followed a diet low in AGE.

Nowotwory

According to the current state of knowledge, advanced glycation end products do not directly influence the neoplastic process. However, they may be involved in the formation of cancer cells by causing chronic inflammation, which is a risk factor for cancer.

AGEs also increase oxidative stress, which increases gene mutations, which in turn may lead to the formation of a cancer cell.

Dementia

Grilling and frying diets high in AGEs have been shown in mice studies to contribute to the formation of the β-amyloid protein in the brain, which is suspected of causing Alzheimer's disease.Important

How to reduce the amount of glycotoxins in grilled food?

We don't have to give up grilling food altogether. It is a quick and tasty way to prepare dishes, which allows you to avoid adding fat and thus reduces the caloric content of the dish. However, remember about the compounds that are toxic to he alth created during grilling.

In order to minimize their number, you should follow a few rules:

  1. Avoid grilling over the flame- this can easily cause charred food, and most AGE is formed in the browned parts of the food.
  2. Limit the amount of meat to be grilled . It is the richest source of glycotoxins. Grill more vegetables that contain very little AGE.
  3. Marinate the meat properly . A marinade of sour ingredients, such as lemon or lime juice, or balsamic vinegar, reduces the amount of AGE in grilled meat by up to half. You can add herbs with antioxidant properties to the marinade,e.g. rosemary, thyme, garlic, pepper. They will partially counteract the toxic effects of AGEs. Do not use honey or other sugar sources in marinades.
  4. Grill slowly , at a lower temperature.
  5. Remove the meat from the grill as soon as it is ready . Do not keep it on the rack for too long, so as not to increase the browning of the dish unnecessarily.
  6. If you are grilling your bread, remove it when it is golden in color.Avoid brown or blackened bread.

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