Reducing consumption of junk food can cut chronic disease risk

Washington, Nov 4 : Reducing the consumption of processed and fried foods, which are high in toxins called Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs), can reduce inflammation and actually help restore the body's natural defences regardless of age or health status, according to a new study.

These benefits are present even without changing caloric or nutrient intake, say researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

The findings provide a simple dietary intervention that could result in weight loss and have significant impact on several epidemic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease.

The findings are the result of a clinical study involving over 350 people, which was conducted in collaboration with, and with support from, the National Institute on Aging (NIA).

The study is based on previous research conducted in animal models that showed the effective prevention of these diseases and even the extension of lifespan by consuming a reduced AGE diet.

"What is noteworthy about our findings is that reduced AGE consumption proved to be effective in all study participants, including healthy persons and persons who have a chronic condition such as kidney disease," said the study''s lead author Helen Vlassara, MD, Professor and Director of the Division of Experimental Diabetes and Aging at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

"This suggests that oxidants may play a more active role than genetics in overwhelming our body''s defences, which we need to fight off disease. It has been said that nature holds the power, but the environment pulls the trigger. The good news is that unlike genetics, we can control oxidant levels, which may not be an accompaniment to disease and aging, but instead due to the cumulative toxic influence of AGEs," Dr. Vlassara added.

The study has been published in the October/November issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

--ANI