In 1930, in the
Institute of Clinical Chemistry in Lausanne, Switzerland, Dr. Paul Kouchakoff
was conducting research to determine the effect of food on the immune system.
He noticed that immediately after eating cooked food greatly the white blood
cell count increases in the blood of the individual who has consumed it. We
know that this happens when the body is 'attacked' by microbes or chemical
toxins, since white blood cells are the first weapon thrown into battle to
tackle these intrusions. According to the results of Dr. Kouchakoff, the
ingredients of cooked foods are treated as such attackers. This survey showed
that no increase of leukocytes occurs when someone consumes raw food or cooked
at a temperature below a certain "critical" value for each food.
Regardless of the
practical application of Dr. Kouchakoff's results, what is to be taken from
this research is its main conclusion: Cooked foods contain substances that the
body does not immediately recognise as friendly or digestible. The protein
denaturation, polymerisation and oxidation of fats, the intense mechanical and
chemical pre-treatment and the use of non-natural additives and preservatives
dramatically degrades the quality of food consumed by modern man. On top of the
list of foods that create digestive leukocytosis are the usual suspects:
Refined carbohydrates like sugar and white flour, pasteurised and homogenised
dairy products, fried foods and hydrogenated fats. Unfortunately, our
technological civilisation saved us from hunger to lead us to a generalised
epidemic of diet-related diseases.
The important issues raised by the systematic cooking is toxins, i.e. harmful
chemicals formed when food is exposed to high temperatures. These poisonous and
carcinogenic compounds are grouped into five categories and should be avoided,
if not completely removed from our diet. These groups are:- Advanced glycation end products (AGEs)
- Acrylamide
- Heterocyclic amines
- Nitrosamines
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)
Lets examine as a first example Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs):
AGEs are formed
when glucose molecules fuse to proteins or lipoproteins. This can occur either
inside the body (endogenous formations) due to aging, or in foods due to
exposure to high temperatures (exogenous formations). These aggregates are
potent inflammatory factors that accelerate damage to the body such as
atherosclerosis, asthma, arthritis, myocardial heart muscle, nephropathy,
retinopathy and neuropathy. The formation of AGEs in food increases
exponentially with temperature and the cooking time. The biggest culprits are animal
fats cooked at high temperatures, although even vegetable food wastes can
contain AGEs if cooked until golden brown orcrisp. To reduce your exposure to
AGEs:
- Avoid foods cooked at high temperatures, such as fried or grilled food.
- Selected cooking methods such as steam, boiling or baking below 120 ° C.
- Avoid eating crisp foods, charred or tanned.
- Eat more vegetables, raw food (uncooked foods contain negligible amounts of AGEs).
