Method of cooking is important to prevent heart disease in diabetics

Recent research has shown the importance of the method of cooking in diabetics. Boiling, steaming and stewing of food instead of frying or grilling are healthier options which can limit exposure to advanced glycation end products (AGEs). This protective effect is due to the presence of water during boiling, steaming or steaming. Reduction of exposure to AGEs, potentially prevents the low grade inflammatory state that may lead to cardio-vascular disease in diabetes. AGEs are toxic by-products of spontaneous interactions among sugars, fats, and proteins, which form quickly when food is cooked at high temperatures. They occur naturally in the body but are present at higher levels in diabetes. In a study done at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, 24 diabetic patients ate healthy diets that were equal in all respects except for AGE concentrations. Those who ate meals with the lower AGE concentrations had lower concentrations of serum AGEs and inflammatory markers after 4 to 6 weeks than those who ate foods with normal AGE concentrations. Dietary AGEs promote inflammatory mediators, leading to tissue injury and cardiovascular disease in diabetes. Restriction of the dietary AGEs suppresses these effects. So diabetic patients may need to watch not only the types of food they eat, but also the method of food preparation.