High-Temperature (Grilled or Fried) Meat and Blood Pressure
A study by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health established a link between the consumption of high-temperature, well-done or grilled meat and fish and an increased risk of hypertension. The team examined a total of 104,000 American adults in three long-term studies. The results of the study were presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association.
The risk of developing high blood pressure was 17 percent higher among participants who reported eating grilled or well-done red meat, chicken, or fish at least 15 times a month compared to the control group, which consumed these products only four times a month.
The link between cooking method, cooking temperature, and high blood pressure was found (the researchers noted) regardless of the amount and type of food consumed.
In the experiments, heterocyclic aromatic amines, which are produced when cooking meat at high temperatures, caused oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and inflammation. This damages the inner lining of blood vessels and can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. This, in turn, narrows the blood vessels and contributes to the development of high blood pressure and heart disease.
In summary, the author of the study, Gang Liu, pointed out that avoiding heavily fried meat/fish as well as cooking over an open flame or at high temperatures can help minimize the risk of developing high blood pressure.
This study is currently the only one that specifically addresses the relationship between high blood pressure and well-done, high-temperature meat. However, other studies have already shown that meat prepared in this way increases the risk of certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Sources
By Sabine Croci.
This article is medically reviewed. Last updated (04/2024).
Information on the website and within the app cannot replace a consultation with a doctor, but can certainly complement it.
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