Study Finds Low-Fat Diet Lowers Glycation Compounds in Postmenopausal Women - Video

A long-term low-fat, plant-rich diet may substantially reduce intake of harmful dietary advanced glycation end-products (dAGEs), according to a new study published in the British Journal of Cancer. Researchers found that postmenopausal women who followed the dietary pattern consumed significantly fewer dAGEs over seven years than those who continued their usual diet.

Advanced glycation end-products are reactive compounds formed naturally in the body and obtained through foods, particularly processed meats, high-fat foods, fried foods, baked products, and foods cooked at high temperatures. Previous research has linked higher dAGE intake with chronic inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, obesity, and several cancers, including breast cancer.

The study analyzed data from 40,209 women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial. Participants were randomly assigned to either a low-fat dietary program or a usual-diet control group. The intervention aimed to reduce total fat intake to 20% of daily calories while increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, and grains.

Researchers estimated participants' dAGE intake using food frequency questionnaires completed at baseline, one year, and periodically during the seven-year follow-up.

At the beginning of the study, estimated dAGE intake was similar in both groups. However, after one year, women in the low-fat intervention group showed a marked reduction in estimated dAGE intake compared with those following their usual diet. The lower intake persisted throughout the study, although the difference between the groups gradually narrowed over time.

The researchers noted that women in the intervention group generally consumed fewer red and processed meats, desserts, and added fats while increasing intake of plant-based foods, changes that were consistent with reduced dAGE exposure.

Although the findings suggest that adopting an overall low-fat, plant-forward eating pattern may naturally lower dietary AGE intake without requiring special cooking techniques, the researchers caution that this was a secondary analysis based on self-reported dietary information.

REFERENCE: Pichardo, M. S., et al. (2026). Low-fat dietary pattern and dietary advanced glycation end-products intake: a secondary analysis of the Women's Health Initiative randomized trial. British Journal of Cancer. DOI – 10.1038/s41416-026-03514-x.