New research shows that fried or grilled meat may lead to more memory loss, Alzeheimer’s disease and other issues related to memory.
The culprit is something called advanced glycation end products, or AGES. The compound is created when protein from the meat interacts with fat and sugar while being cooked.
The study found that mice fed a low-AGES diet did better on cognitive tests and had much more memory function.
They now believe there is a relationship between AGES and poor memory in anyone over the age of 60.
Doctors say more work is needed before they can definitively say there is a solid link between dementia and fried or grilled meats. But there is consensus that eating a healthier diet has multiple benefits.
One suggestion is to move away from foods with AGES through the "less heat and more water" method. In plain terms, that means cooking methods such as poaching and steaming.
Lead researcher Dr. Simon Ridley told The BBC, "You don't have to become a vegetarian, but pay attention to what you eat and how you prepare it."
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