New Delhi: Foods such as cakes, chips, cookies, crackers, fried foods, mayonnaise, margarine and ultra-processed foods—which are rich in advanced glycation end products (AGEs)—are a leading cause behind India being the world’s diabetic capital, a first-of-its-kind clinical trial has found. AGEs are reactive and potentially toxic compounds formed when proteins or lipids are glycated, or modified by aldose sugars, which are carbohydrates with an aldehyde group (CHO). The government-funded trial—conducted by researchers from various institutions including the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) in Chennai—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, the study said. The findings of the study, funded by the Department of Biology, were published Thursday in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. By following a low-AGE diet—which includes foods low in AGEs, such as 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.
“This dietary intervention has the potential to mitigate the bu.
