Eating grilled meat like a sausage sandwich or heat processed chicken can significantly increase the risk of developing diabetes and obesity, a new study has claimed.
Such cooking methods have long been hailed as the healthier alternative to fried food, but now it appears that eating grilled and roasted food can soar the risk of these diseases.
Researchers at Mount Sinai University, in New York, have discovered that a compound found when food is cooked in dry heat can trigger significant weight gain, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Earlier study has shown that eating just 50 grams of processed red meat a day is enough to increase the chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 51 per cent.
Unprocessed red meat such as steak has also been found to be a major risk, with just 100 grams a day increasing the risk by a fifth.
The cooking method is also a factor, with barbecuing, frying – and now grilling and roasting – particularly dangerous.
The study found that eating overcooked meat with a dark crust on the outside more than doubles the risk of cancer.
Frying and grilling is particularly hazardous because the intense heat turns the sugars and amino acids of muscle tissue into high levels of cancer-causing compounds.
Researchers have now found that grilling and roasting food creates a compound called methylglyoxal (MG), a type of advanced glycation end product (AGE).