Consumption of ultra-processed and fried foods can lead to chronic inflammation in the body, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes in overweight/obese Asian-Indian adults, according to the latest study by the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, an ICMR Centre for Advanced Research in Diabetes. The first-of-its-kind study in India has shed light on the consumption of fried and ultra-processed foods that are rich in Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs). AGEs are a group of compounds that accumulate in the body over time and are associated with chronic diseases.
Dr V Mohan, chairman of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, and Dr Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre explained that the AGEs are formed in the blood. "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, reported PTI. Diets with high AGEs include red meat, french fries and other fried foods, bakery products, paratha, samosa and sugary foods among others.
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The government-funded study has shown that low-AGE diets could be a potential strategy to reduce diabetes risk. Low-AGE food includes green leafy vegetables, fruits, fish, boiled items and brown rice, Dr V Mohan said. The study also noted that cooking methods like frying, roasting and grilling elevate AGE levels while boiling keeps them in check.
Low-AGE foods may prevent diabetes risk. Photo:iStock
The study included 38 overweight and obese Asian-Indian adults, aged 25 to 45 years, with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 23 and above. The study observed the participants for 12 weeks and found that for those who followed a low-AGE diet, their glucose levels and inflammatory markers were lower, Dr Mookambika Ramya Bai, a research scientist at the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and first author of the study, said. In contrast, those who ate high-AGEs foods had higher glucose levels, greater insulin resistance and more inflammatory markers in their blood.
The rapid nutrition transition in developing countries like India has led to higher intakes of refined carbohydrates, fats and animal products. This, along with a sedentary lifestyle, increases the prevalence of obesity, diabetes and associated disorders, the study said, reported PTI. "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.
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Prevalence of diabetes, pre-diabetes and obesity is on the rise globally and in India, there are currently 101 million individuals with diabetes, according to the study. Obesity is linked to insulin resistance, oxidative stress and inflammation, and thus, promotes the development of 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, the study said. The study findings were published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition.