Grilling meat may raise risk of high blood pressure, study finds

As the sweet season of summer approaches, you may definitely want to eat some tasty dishes. But well, barbequed meats can be dangerous for your health as they increase the blood pressure, suggested by a new study. One of the assessments produced by the researchers of the American Heart Association showed that food cooked in high temperatures are likely to increase the risk of high blood pressure.

High Blood Pressure: The Research

To conduct their research, they examined nearly about 100000 people for a long time. The method of cooking of participants was collected. The researchers also collected data about the blood pressure of the participants who ate fish, poultry, beef and other animal meats. Their research showed that at the beginning, none of the participants suffered from high blood pressure, risk of cancer or diabetes. But by the term of 12 to 16 years, 37000 participants had become affected due to high blood pressure.

The research further stated that people who ate red meat regularly a week were likely to develop risk of hypertension. The people who roasted, boiled or grilled the meat before eating for about 15 times a month were at a 17% higher risk of developing the disease, compared to those who did the process only four times a month.

People who consumed high levels of heterocyclic aromatic amines were more at the risk of developing high blood pressure. Heterocyclic aromatic amines are chemical present within the meat and become charred due to exposure to high temperature.

Gang Liu in a statement said, “The chemicals produced by cooking meats at high temperatures induce oxidative stress, inflammation and insulin resistance in animal studies, and these pathways may also lead to an elevated risk of developing high blood pressure.”

However, the stress, inflammation and resistance to insulin may affect your blood vessels’ inner lining. This may cause atherosclerosis, thinning the arteries and leading to cardiovascular damage.

Liu further added,

“Our findings suggest that it may help reduce the risk of high blood pressure, if you don’t eat these foods cooked well done and avoid the use of open-flame and/or high-temperature cooking methods, including grilling/barbequing and broiling.”