TOULOUSE, France—The Western diet consists of a log of high-heat-treated foods, as it adds flavor and appeals to the taste buds. But high-temp foods have negative side effects on the body, according to recent research.
According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a diet based on high-heat-treated foods increases markers associated with an enhanced risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in healthy people (2010;19(5):1220-26). The randomized, crossover, diet-controlled intervention trial with 62 volunteers was designed to compare the potential metabolic effects of two diets, one that was based on mild steam cooking and another based on high-temperature cooking. The two diets differed mainly in their contents of Maillard reaction products (MRPs).
In comparison with the steamed diet, one month of consuming the high-heat-treated diet induced significantly lower insulin sensitivity and plasma concentrations of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins C and E. However, concentrations of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides increased. Researchers noted, “Replacing high-heat-treatment techniques by mild cooking techniques may help to positively modulate biomarkers associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus and CVDs.”
Journal Link: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/91/5/1220?etoc