AGE, Advanced Glycation End products are formed when sugars comgine with proteins, fats and other ingredients in foods. Browning or blackening on a hot grill is a good example. It may taste better prepared that way but foods prepared that way may be unhealthy for you. The goal is to keep your AGEs level down.

Reducing AGEs by 30 to 50 percent was effective for all study participants in the Mt. Sinai Hospital 2007  study regardless of their age. Foods higher in fat scored the highest in AGE content but the way food is prepared also affect AGE levels. Cooking temperature, length of cooking time and presence of liquid were the major factors.  For example, a hot dog contained only two thirds as much AGEs when boiled for seven minutes instead of broiling it for 5 minutes.

You can lower your AGEs level by eating a better diet with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meat and fish. But you already know that. What you may not know is that you can also lower your AGEs levels by:

·    Lowering your cooking temperatures to low and slow. Crock pots and slow cookers are good.
·    Choose steaming, braising and poaching, moist cooking methods using liquids, more often then frying or broiling or grilling.
·    Leave out the browning. Browning the sugars and proteins on the surface of foods does boost the flavors, but these chemical reactions at high temperatures also create AGEs.
·    Cook fresh and from scratch. Use less packaged foods.
·    Eat more at home where you can control how your food is prepared.

I’m convinced you are going to hear more about this. I recall when few people understood the significance of anti-oxidants. That was maybe 15 years ago and then it became a household word. I suspect AGEs is going to be in the news a lot more.

To your healthy success.

Ruthan Brodsky



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