Should Indians be changing their cooking styles dramatically as a nation that is carrying the highest diabetes burden? Researchers have now found that the heat involved in cooking produces advanced glycation end-products, or AGEs, harmful compounds that form when proteins or fats interact with sugars in the bloodstream. This process is known as glycation, which creates conditions that accelerate blood sugar levels in the body. “Intense cooking methods like frying or grilling can dramatically increase AGE levels in food. For instance, foods cooked at high temperatures for extended periods generate more AGEs compared to those prepared using gentler techniques. What’s concerning is that AGEs accumulate in your body over time because they cannot be flushed out easily. Whenever you grill, bake, fry or toast, you are creating AGEs. Diet is considered the biggest source of this harmful compound. So even if you think you are eating healthy and grilling your food, it can still be high in AGEs,” says diabetologist Dr V Mohan, whose Madras Diabetes Research Foundation conducted a clinical trial that established the …