AGEs or Advanced Glycation End products have been discussed in health newsletters and peer reviewed journals for over 10 years. A nutritionist understands what they are all about but most consumers are so turned off by the overwhelming name they seldom read beyond the headline. I am hoping this headline got your attention because it is important to understand AGEs, especially as you get older.

The fact is that because of AGEs, poaching chicken instead of broiling it could help reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Did you know that how you prepare that pot roast could affect your arthritis? Conclusions such as these have been bandied about for some time. I recall reading that meats grilled over a hot flame may have cancerous effects although I never understood why. Understanding AGEs should uncomplicated the explanation.

AGEs are formed when sugars combine with proteins, fats and other ingredients in food. My example of browning foods on a hot grill because they are more tasty fits here. In fact, fast food restaurants and food processors know all about AGEs and add synthetic AGEs to make food more appealing. As a result, the amount of AGE  we consume has increased very quickly.

Advanced Glycation End products can come from 2 sources: the food you eat and production from your body. When proteins are cooked with sugars in the absence of water, AGES are formed. This holds true for meet as well as vegetables because vegetables and grains all have protein in them. Water prevents these sugars from biding to the protein molecules. The problem is that AGE may increase nerve damage, particularly in diabetics who are more susceptible to nerve damage. It also is a warning signal to anyone over 50 who shows signs of a rising blood sugar count.

AGE formation in your body also takes place in your body as it processes sugars. Depending on what you eat, a small proportion of the sugar in your bloodstream is glycated and the rest is used to give you energy. Your body can handle AGEs, although very slowly. For instance, the half-life of AGEs is about twice that of the average cell life which means damage can persist for some time especially in long-lived cells like nerve and brain cells, eye and collagen proteins. As AGEs accumulate in your body, they promote oxidation and inflammation both of which are not very healthy.

As a result, AGEs are implicated in many age-related chronic diseases such as type 11 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimers disease, cancer, and peripheral neuropathy.

More about what AGEs can do to your body and how you can protect yourself in my next post. It may seem a bit complicated but it is worth knowing about if you are interested in a healthy and productive lifestyle.

To your success at healthy aging.

Ruthan Brodsky

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Filed under: Conditions and Diseases • Fitness and Nutrition

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