To avoid cooking from the inside, take this simple dietary measure

Even if you do not have diabetes or prediabetes, you should be careful to reduce these AGEs in your diet. This article will explain how.

What are AGEs and why are they a problem?
Advanced glycation products (AGEs) are a class of chemical compounds created by the reaction between sugars and proteins. This reaction, which is akin to internal cooking, occurs in the absence of enzymes. It happens all the time in the body, and the more sugar there is in the blood, the more it is exacerbated. One of the ways to know if you have prediabetes or diabetes is to measure the level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in the blood.

Increased formation of glycated proteins has been associated with the development and progression of diabetes and its vascular complications, kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. EFAs are also involved in cirrhosis, or even Parkinson’s disease.

Recently, researchers hypothesized that they may contribute to weight gain and obesity.

The consequences of distorted proteins
Whenever long-lived proteins are altered by AGEs, they lose part of their function. When it comes to proteins in the eye, eventually a cataract develops. If it is cartilage, osteoarthritis can develop. When the proteins that give the brain access to neurotransmitter precursors are damaged, signaling between neurons no longer works properly. A high level of AGE has been associated with mood disorders – anxiety and schizophrenia.

If AGEs are forming in the body at any time, in addition to those that we swallow: food contributes significantly to the amount of AGE that we must manage, contain, and if possible eliminate day after day.

What are the foods that provide EFAs? In fact, it is found in most foods, but more particularly those of animal origin, and those of plant origin that have been grilled: the more we use high and / or prolonged temperatures, the more food we consume. manufacturers that were made in this way, the more exposure to AGEs.

There are real benefits to sustainably reducing AGEs. This can be done by taking steps to lower your blood sugar (eg, dieting, combined with exercise) and choosing your foods and cooking methods carefully. Clinical trials have shown that a decrease in circulating AGEs is accompanied by a decrease in insulin resistance, and an improvement in markers of the functioning of certain organs such as the kidneys.

Concretely, what to do?
– Fruits can be eaten as long as they do not raise blood sugar too much if you are already prediabetic or diabetic (this is the case with berries, in particular).
– Vegetables, pulses, cereal products are not a problem as long as they have not been brought to high temperature or exposed to dry heat such as the oven, barbecue, grill.
– A pizza well cooked over a wood fire or in the oven, a dish of macaroni bring a large dose of AGE.
– In the kitchen, humidity is your ally.
– Nuts, hazelnuts, almonds should be eaten naturally, that is, not roasted.
– Meat and fish are important sources of AGE when fried, grilled, baked or barbecued. A marinade can reduce the amount of AGE.
– Industrial cheeses are very rich in AGE. In general, all ultra-processed foods should be avoided or limited.
– Herbs, spices, and generally foods and drinks rich in phenolic compounds such as tea, red wine (in moderation) help control the formation of AGE.