Eating AGE-Rich Foods Causes Dysfunction Linked to Heart Disease

A study in Diabetes Care finds that ingesting food or drink rich in advanced glycation end products (AGEs) causes immediate, short-lived but significant
endothelial dysfunction, shedding light on the mechanism by which dietary
AGE content can be linked to cardiovascular disease.

AGEs are a group of compounds produced within the body as a result of
hyperglycemia or formed in foods rich in protein and fat when cooked at
high and dry heat (e.g. by broiling, grilling, frying or roasting). They
may also form spontaneously in foods during storage at room temperature,
though they are produced at an accelerated pace as temperatures increase
during cooking. Fast foods, such as hamburgers and fries, as well as any
fat-rich foods cooked at high temperatures, tend to be highest in AGE
content. Foods that are stewed or steam-cooked tend to have lower AGE
concentrations.

AGEs have previously been associated with many of the chronic
complications of diabetes, such as heart disease. This study found that
drinking a single concentrated amount of an AGE-rich beverage induced
significant endothelial dysfunction in both people who had diabetes and in
those who did not. Endothelial dysfunction is an early indicator of
atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which leads to
cardiovascular disease.

"Although the effect was temporary, it suggests that AGEs could, over
time, pose a significant risk to the vascular integrity of both diabetic
and healthy persons," said lead researcher Dr. Jaime Uribarri, of the Mount
Sinai School of Medicine.

Since AGEs occur at higher levels in foods that are broiled, fried or
braised, the study also suggests that it's not only what you eat but how it
is prepared that may affect your risk for cardiovascular disease. An
editorial accompanying this study concluded that such lines of research
would ultimately "impact our eating and cooking habits and the choice of
foods that we eat."

Diabetes Care, published by the American Diabetes Association, is the
leading peer-reviewed journal of clinical research into the nation's fifth
leading cause of death by disease. Diabetes also is a leading cause of
heart disease and stroke, as well as the leading cause of adult blindness,
kidney failure, and non-traumatic amputations. For more information about
diabetes, visit the American Diabetes Association Web site http://www.diabetes.org
or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383).