The Claim

In healthy adults, a two-week dietary intervention using low-AGE cooking methods (boiling/steaming) reduces total cholesterol by approximately 8 mg/dL and triglycerides by 18 mg/dL compared to high-AGE cooking methods (grilling/baking), independent of macronutrient intake.

Source: Cooking methods affect advanced glycation end products and lipid profiles: A randomized cross-over study in healthy subjects

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
68score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Cause and effect
1 study reviewed
In plain English

In healthy adults, cooking food by boiling or steaming for two weeks lowers total cholesterol by about 8 mg/dL and triglycerides by about 18 mg/dL compared to cooking by grilling or baking, regardless of the amounts of carbs, fats, or proteins consumed.

See the scientific wording

In healthy adults, a two-week dietary intervention using low-AGE cooking methods (boiling/steaming) significantly improves lipid profiles by reducing total cholesterol by approximately 8 mg/dL and triglycerides by 18 mg/dL compared to high-AGE methods (grilling/baking), suggesting a direct, short-term benefit on cardiometabolic biomarkers independent of macronutrient intake.

Why this might work

When food is cooked at low temperatures like boiling or steaming, fewer harmful compounds form in the food. These compounds, when absorbed, trigger inflammation and disrupt how the body manages fats. With fewer of these compounds in the blood, a key protein called 4E-BP1 becomes more active, which slows down unnecessary protein production and helps the body burn fat more efficiently, leading to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Supported mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: Cooking methods affect advanced glycation end products and lipid profiles: A randomized cross-over study in healthy subjects

    This study found that cooking food by boiling or steaming instead of grilling or baking lowers bad fats in the blood—even when people eat the exact same foods—because high-heat cooking creates harmful compounds that affect cholesterol and triglycerides.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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