A class of toxic chemicals released by grilling, broiling and frying meat may increase the risk of life-threatening diseases.(File Photo)

    BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhuanet) -- A class of toxic chemicals released by grilling, broiling and frying meat may increase the risk of life-threatening diseases, according to a new study quoted by media reports Wendesday.

    Grilled, fried or broiled animal products such as meats and cheeses contain a class of toxins called "advanced glycation end products" (AGEs), which has been linked to inflammation, insulin resistance, diabetes, vascular and kidney disease, and Alzheimer's disease, researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York said.

    When AGEs build up in the body, oxidative stress -- damage linked to aging -- results.

    In the study, Dr. Helen Vlassara and her colleagues tied AGE products to heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.

    "A sustained and chronic inflammation damages the tissues," Vlassara said. "Therefore it will damage the heart, it will damage the kidneys and the brain."

    The study involved 172 healthy men and women who were divided into two age groups, those 18 to 45 and those 60 to 80. Participants had their body weight and body fat measured, completed a three-day food diary, and had blood samples collected.

    AGE levels tended to be higher in older people, whose bodies seem to have less ability to remove the chemicals, the researchers found.

    The researchers also found that the more people ate foods rich in the compounds, the higher their blood levels of AGE and markers for inflammation such as C-reactive protein. Levels of AGEs in some healthy adults were similar to those seen in people with diabetes in earlier studies, according to the researchers.

    Vlassara suggested that boiling, steaming and stewing are the safest ways to cook food, not only because of AGEs, but also given warnings about cancer-causing byproducts of high-temperature cooking such as acrylamide.

    The occasional barbecue is probably OK, she added, noting AGEs also give foods desired tastes and smells.

    Right now, there are no tests for AGE levels. The researchers note, one sure way to lower levels is to lower the heat while cooking -- think stewing instead of grilling.

    (Agencies)