Protecting Against Diabetes with Diet Changes |

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You can go as far as reversing your pre-diabetic symptoms by simply changing what you cook and what you put in your body. Diabetes is a problem that 11.3% of the United States struggles with, especially people aged 45-64. It is a problem that has arisen with the increase in production and consumption of processed food as that particular kind of food has more advanced sugars than others, which are one of the culprits leading to diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease that affects the glucose levels in your blood, mainly having too much sugar in your bloodstream. The exact cause of diabetes is still unknown, but with all types of diabetes, sugar builds up in the bloodstream because the pancreas isn’t producing enough insulin. Long term complications associated with the disease include cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, Alzheimer’s disease and much more. There are multiple different types of diabetes, the most popular being type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is genetic and unavoidable, but Type 2 is preventable, so if you are pre-diabetic, taking simple steps like exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight and “changing how and what we cook could go a long way towards preventing diabetes,” say researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine, in New York City.

AGEs can cause diabetes

Many studies have been done on diabetes and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) but two have connected AGEs with pre-diabetic symptoms. The first study was published by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences led by Helen Vlassara, MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, that investigated and then confirmed that high levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the body can cause pre-diabetes. They concluded this discovery by recording increasing insulin resistance, as well as brain changes similar to Alzheimer’s disease in patients who have confirmed high levels of AGEs.

Improve pre-diabetes symptoms by eating fewer AGEs

The evidence gathered from the first study was used as the basis for a newer study that tested the effects of consuming either more or less AGEs would have on the likelihood that the patients would continue to be pre-diabetics. These researchers published a study in the journal, Diabetologia, that found that obese individuals with signs of being pre-diabetic showed improvement simply by avoiding the intake of AGEs. AGEs are a byproduct of cooking that is most commonly found in ultra-processed, dry, heat-cooked, or heat-processed foods. Examples of food that are ultra-processed include sugary drinks, sugared cereals, and frozen meals.

The researchers divided the study participants into two groups of obese individuals: one eating a diet high in AGEs (Group A) and one with a diet low in AGEs (Group B). Members of Group B were instructed to avoid grilling, frying, or baking their food, in favor of poaching, stewing, or steaming to reduce their consumption of advanced glycation end products.

The two groups showed similar levels of insulin resistance at the beginning, but by the end, Group B (low level group) showed significantly improved insulin resistance, as well as slightly decreased body weight and lowered levels of AGEs in the body. Group A (high level group) had higher levels of AGEs and more markers of insulin resistance than during the baseline measurements, meaning their pre-diabetic symptoms got worse from eating foods with high levels of advanced glycation end products. Even without losing a significant amount of weight, a reduced AGE diet can help prevent diabetes in these patients.

Eat cleaner, less processed food

These ultra-processed foods are a large problem, as the United States produces so many foods with AGEs that it is no wonder diabetes is such an issue in our country. Avoiding foods with elevated levels of AGEs and substituting them with lower-level foods such as leafy greens, legumes, and fresh produce can help prevent and or reverse the effects for people who are pre-diabetics. This study provides new clinical approaches to pre-diabetes, potentially helping protect certain at-risk individuals from developing diabetes and its devastating consequences. Researchers also discovered a positive effect on stress and inflammation regulation with lowered levels of AGEs. So, as well as treating your pre-diabetic symptoms and lowering the likelihood of becoming diabetic, it also reduces stress and inflammation levels which puts less stress on your body, making it all around healthier.