High Heat Cooking

Preparation of food is equally important as choosing the right food for your nutrition.  It is proven that how we cook certain foods can impact our health.  Dietary advanced glycation end products (DAGEs) are chemical reactions of amino acids/ sugars and oxidation of sugars, lipids and amino acids that are highly reactive compounds. DAGEs can derive from food and preparation of food (cooking).

Research has been proven that increase DAGE levels can affect oxidate stress, insulin resistance, and inflammation.  Type 2 diabetes, infertility, cardiovascular disease and Alzeimer's disease can be developed from consuming high DAGEs foods.  Cooking methods such as frying, grilling, roasting and frying can increase DAGE levels, yet impact your health negatively. On the other hand, gentle cooking techniques such as steaming, stewing, boiling, and poaching can decrease DAGE levels. For example, 1 grilled chicken breast has 5200 DAGEs, yet a poached chicken breast has 1000 DAEGs (the less AEGs the better).

The take home message is that preparation of food/ cooking with gentle techniques such as boiling, stewing, steaming and poaching can reduce insulin resistance, inflammation and oxidate stress.

 

Reference:

"The high cost of high heat cooking" by Examine Research Digest Journal, Issue 24, Volume 1. 

(1 year, randomized controlled trail of 100 individuals, 50+ years with metabolic syndrome, results: Individuals that consume diet with gentler cooking methods in food preparation decreaesed insulin resistance leveles, inflammation and oxidative stress).