Barbecued Foods

Dear Dr. Mirkin: I love barbecued foods, but a friend says they are dangerous. Should I stop eating them? Eating any type of browned foods may contribute to heart attacks, strokes or nerve damage. Diabetics suffer a very high incidence of nerve, artery and kidney damage because high blood sugar levels cause sugar to attach to protein, forming advanced glycation products. The frightening news is that browning foods also forms advanced glycation products, and eating them raises blood and tissue levels and increases nerve damage. Cooking without water causes sugars to bind to proteins, while cooking with water prevents this process. Baking, roasting and broiling cause the advanced glycation products to form, while boiling and steaming do not. This is just one more reason why you should base your meals on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans -- fresh, steamed or cooked with water. Make grilled and browned foods a minor part of your diet.