Consumption of ultra-processed and fast foods leading cause of diabetes in India, reveals new study

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A diet rich in advanced glycation end products (AGEs) – which includes ultra processed and fast foods – is among the leading cause of India being the world’s diabetic capital notes a first-of-its-kind clinical trial finding published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, recently. The study was funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology.

The study found that low-AGE diets exhibited improvement in the insulin-sensitivity and reduction in the inflammatory levels compared to high-AGE diets.

“The study for the first time in India revealed that low AGE diets could be a potential strategy to reduce diabetes risk,’’ it said. AGEs, are harmful compounds that are formed when sugars react with fats or proteins during high-temperature cooking, like frying or roasting – are directly linked to inflammation, a key factor behind diabetes.

Prevalence of diabetes, pre-diabetes, and obesity is on the rise globally and among Indians, there are currently 101 million individuals with diabetes. Though India has faced a shortage of clinics, studies on the subject earlier studies from the west demonstrated an increased risk for chronic diseases due to the consumption of highly processed foods that are high in fat, sugar, salt, and potentially toxic compounds known as AGEs.

This current study has shown that consumption of AGE-rich foods leads to inflammation in the body, an underlying cause of diabetes. “This is because glycation – a non-enzymatic chemical process in which a sugar molecule binds to a protein or lipid molecule – can result in harmful reactions in the body,’’ notes the study. It recommends that by following a low-AGE diet (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat milk) overweight and obese individuals can reduce oxidative stress in their bodies, which refers to the imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants that results in inflammation and cell damage.

As part of the clinical trial, adults who are either overweight or obese but non-diabetic were divided into two groups and while one group was given a low-AGE diet for 12 weeks, the other group was put on high-AGE diet over the same period. The high-AGE foods included those prepared by roasting, deep-frying, and shallow-frying, while the low-AGE foods included those cooked by boiling and steaming, in a short span of time. At the end of 12 weeks, the researchers found that insulin sensitivity was significantly increased in the low-AGE diet group, compared to the high-AGE diet group. The low-AGE diet group also showed lowered risk of future type 2 diabetes.

Dr. V. Mohan, Chairman, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation which carried out the study said, “By adopting healthier diets such as green leafy non starchy vegetables, fruits, boiled foods rather than fried ones and cutting down on bakery foods and sugary foods one can have diets which are low in dietary AGE’s and thus lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.”

Dr. Mookambika Ramya Bai, the first author of the study, said, “It means going back to the healthier diets that our forefathers ate.”