Grilled, Smoked Meat Linked with Dementia Risk

Overcooked meat has high levels of toxic chemicals that can increase dementia risk, a new study has reported.

The chemicals- Advanced glycation end (AGE) products- are known to increase diabetes risk in rodents, BBC reported.

In the present study researchers at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found that mice exposed to high levels of AGE had higher levels of proteins linked with Alzheimer's disease. These animals also had higher risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Advanced glycation end products are found in human bodies at low levels. Overcooked meat products such as grilled or smoked meat contain higher levels of the chemical, researchers said.

The chemical is formed when protein or fat reacts with sugars. In higher concentration, AGEs are known to be associated with diabetes. Researchers have also found that AGEs suppress a substance called sirtuin, or SIRT1, which leads to alteration in brain function.

"Age-associated dementia or Alzheimer's disease is currently epidemic in our society and is closely linked to diabetes.  Our studies of both animals and human subjects confirm that AGE-rich foods are a lifestyle-driven reality with major health implications," said Helen Vlassara, MD, Professor and Director of the Division of Experimental Diabetes and Aging in the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics at Mount Sinai, according to a news release.

For the study, researchers raised a set of mice that were fed different levels of AGEs. Rodents that ate a typical Western diet with high levels of the chemical showed a decrease in cognitive functioning when compared with other mice in the study.

Next, researchers looked at the blood sample data of 93 humans over age 60. They found that people with high AGE levels had higher cognitive decline and insulin resistance, according toThe Guardian.

Researchers said that changing cooking methods can lower the levels of AGEs in the food.

"People will grill bacon and fry eggs for breakfast, or have a toasted bagel or muffin. But they could boil or poach the eggs, and have fresh bread. With meat, we recommend stewing and boiling, making sauces instead of exposing meat to very high dry heat," Vlassara told The Guardian.

The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

This is a preliminary finding and researchers say that further research is required to establish a link between AGEs and Alzheimer's disease.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.