Could eating that charred steak lead to arthritis and other diseases linked to inflammation? Very possibly, say researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

The researchers found that when foods are cooked with high, dry heat, it creates toxins known as advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that are absorbed by the body. For example, a 3.5-ounce slice of raw beef has about 707 kUs of AGEs. Cooked, that number increases more than eight times to 6,071.

AGEs are compounds that can trigger inflammation and accelerate aging, says Sandra Woodruff, RD, a nutritionist involved in the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in June 2010.

Eat too many AGEs, and you’re inviting a number of health issues connected to inflammation, including diabetes and chronic kidney disease, says the study’s lead author Jaime Uribarri, MD, a professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Dr. Uribarri also suspects that excessive AGEs could lead to arthritis, but no direct link has been found. 

FengFit Foods Plant-Based Cuisine is only cooked in water based cooking methods (poaching, stewing, steaming) to reduce the AGEs added during the cooking process.

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