Five steps to lower forming glycotoxins for better metabolic health and a longer lifespan

Note: This story reflects my research and personal experiences related to healthy aging. This post does not include health advice. It is only for information and awareness purposes.

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Readers of my health and longevity stories often inquire about the intricate mechanisms propelling the aging process and seek actionable strategies to mitigate their effects. I covered several of them in previous articles. In this article, I aim to explore a prevalent factor adversely impacting the aging demographic through inflammatory processes.

I aim to provide a simplified and high-level overview and introduce strategies to combat Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) via healthy lifestyle choices for awareness purposes.

This topic is important for the aging population as AGEs (glycotoxins) can adversely impact our healthspan and lifespan (longevity), as comprehensively documented in the literature. There are over 60,000 medical reports indexed on PubMed.

Understanding the complex glycation process can reveal its profound impact on our biological clock. Glycation, a non-enzymatic reaction where sugars bind to proteins or fats, gives rise to AGEs, causing gradual harm to proteins and DNA and accelerating the aging process.

As time elapses, these AGEs silently wreak havoc, causing damage, oxidative stress, and inflammation within our bodies.

The insidious effects of these glycotoxins can contribute significantly to age-related diseases and the deterioration of tissues. Notably, diets high in sugars exacerbate this glycation phenomenon, compounding the risks.

A Simplified and High-Level Overview of AGEs

Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) are complex and heterogeneous compounds formed when sugars react with proteins or fats in the body without the moderating influence of enzymes.

This non-enzymatic reaction, known as glycation, results in the creation of molecules that can induce damage to proteins, DNA, and other important molecules.

Glycation is a chemical reaction where sugars in the bloodstream bind to proteins, fats, or nucleic acids without the usual moderating influence of enzymes.

This process results in the formation of AGEs, contributing to cellular damage, impaired functionality of proteins, and potentially accelerating aging processes.

AGEs are formed within the body and can also be ingested through certain foods, with their accumulation and impact influenced by diet, lifestyle, and metabolic health.

AGEs play a significant role in various age-related diseases and complications by promoting oxidative stress, inflammation, and tissue damage.

They are associated with conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular issues, neurodegenerative diseases, and accelerated aging processes.

Several studies have shown that a diet low in dietary AGEs is associated with reduced circulating AGE markers, weight loss, improved body composition, and other cardiometabolic outcomes.

This paper in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics informed that eating foods high in AGEs can increase the levels of these compounds in the body, which is linked to problems like heart disease and kidney issues in mice.

On the flip side, cutting down on these AGE-rich foods seems to protect against blood vessel and kidney problems, and it might improve conditions like diabetes and insulin sensitivity while speeding up wound healing in mice.

Research suggests that eating fewer of these foods might help mice live longer. Similar patterns are seen in studies involving healthy humans, where avoiding these foods seems to reduce markers linked to stress and inflammation in the body.

Altogether, reviewed studies hint that steering clear of foods high in AGEs could delay diseases and aging in animals and humans.

1 — Causes

Dietary and lifestyle factors primarily cause AGEs. For example, diets high in processed foods and refined sugars might increase glycation reactions, promoting elevated AGE levels.

High-temperature cooking methods, especially those lacking moisture like grilling or frying, significantly promote AGE formation in food.

Metabolic imbalances, including hyperglycemia in diabetes and oxidative stress, exacerbate AGE accumulation while aging reduces the body’s ability to regulate and clear AGEs. Chronic diseases like diabetes and kidney disorders are associated with heightened AGE levels.

Lifestyle choices like smoking and a sedentary lifestyle can contribute, and genetic factors might influence susceptibility to AGE accumulation.

2 — Symptoms

Symptoms directly linked to the accumulation of AGEs might not present as standalone indicators, but their impact resonates through various health conditions.

While specific symptoms directly attributed to AGEs might not be evident, their role in exacerbating a spectrum of health conditions emphasizes the importance of managing factors influencing AGE accumulation for overall health and well-being.

AGE symptoms are observed in diabetes, including neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy, while also playing a role in cardiovascular issues like arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis, thereby elevating the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Their presence is associated with neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s and contributes to skin aging, affecting collagen and elastin and leading to wrinkles and reduced skin elasticity.

AGE accumulation is implicated in kidney damage, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, vision problems such as cataracts and retinal damage, and impaired wound healing.

3 — Diagnosis

Diagnosing AGEs involves several methods. Skin autofluorescence can measure AGE accumulation non-invasively. Blood or tissue sampling and ELISA assays detect specific AGE molecules or their byproducts.

Fluorescence imaging can help practitioners visualize AGEs in tissues, and indirect markers like glycated hemoglobin levels offer insights into long-term glucose control. Clinical symptoms and conditions related to high AGE levels can guide timely diagnosis.

However, direct clinical measurement of AGEs for routine diagnosis remains challenging, requiring more research to develop accessible and accurate diagnostic tools for assessing their impact on metabolic health.

4 — Pharmacological Approaches

In addition to lifestyle choices, there are also pharmacological approaches, as documented in this paper. They are “aminoguanidine, pyridoxamine, benfotiamine, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, statin, ALT-711 (alagebrium), and thiazolidinediones. The most recent promising anti-AGEs agents are statins, alagebrium, and thiazolidinediones.”

5 — Impact and Implications

The consequences of AGEs extend significantly beyond mere symptoms, encompassing a spectrum of metabolic disorders, complications related to aging, and prevalent conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and neurodegenerative disorders like dementia.

However, within these intricate health implications lies an opportunity for transformative change — by actively reducing AGE formation, we open avenues for substantial improvements in metabolic well-being.

The pivotal understanding and mitigation of AGEs emerge as crucial health endeavors in nurturing a robust and healthier body, promising a path toward vitality and resilience for graceful aging.

5 Practical Steps to Lower AGEs for Better Metabolic Health

In this section, I cover lifestyle choices to lower the formation and associated risks with Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs).

Step 1: Choose Gentle Cooking Methods and Add a Splash of Acidity and Spices

A 2016 randomized clinical trial titled “Oral AGE restriction ameliorates insulin resistance in obese individuals with the metabolic syndrome” in 138 adults who were overweight with the metabolic syndrome found that a reduction in dietary AGEs by modifying the cooking methods, using boiling, stewing, or steaming instead of frying, baking, or grilling, keeping the diet composition otherwise constant, ameliorated insulin resistance in these individuals.

I wrote numerous articles about insulin resistance and sensitivity.

Researchers suggest using gentler cooking techniques like steaming, boiling, stewing, or poaching instead of high-heat methods like grilling or frying. Lower temperatures during cooking help our food reduce the creation of harmful AGEs.

In addition, before cooking, you may include acidic ingredients like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. These acidic elements might act as shields against the formation of AGEs, making meals healthier.

You may also include herbs and spices in your meals. These flavorful additions come with anti-glycation properties, helping to reduce the formation of AGEs.

Step 2: Eat Antioxidant-Rich and Low-AGE Foods and Avoid Highly Processed Foods

Consume a diet abundant in antioxidants as they defend against the detrimental effects of AGEs, mitigating their impact on the body.

Choose fresh, whole foods over processed or extensively cooked items, as they typically boast lower AGE content, aligning with your pursuit of better metabolic health. Simultaneously, lower your consumption of processed and pre-packaged foods with higher levels of AGEs.

This intentional dietary shift can empower you to proactively manage the influence of AGEs on your metabolic well-being, encouraging a healthier internal environment.

Step 3: Keep Blood Sugar in Check

Achieving and sustaining balanced blood sugar levels is pivotal in controlling the formation of AGEs.

By managing blood sugar, we directly influence the rate of sugar interacting with proteins or fats, thereby reducing the production of AGEs within the body.

This proactive approach curtails AGE formation and can facilitate metabolic balance, which is crucial for health and longevity.

Step 4: Move the Body

Movement and regular physical activity are potent antidotes to combating the inflammatory effects of AGEs.

Consistent exercise routines can empower your body to handle these compounds, significantly reducing their detrimental impact.

Integrating exercise into your lifestyle can increase the body’s resilience against AGE-related inflammation and strengthen overall metabolic health.

This proactive approach offers a formidable defense, enabling the body to steer better the challenges posed by AGEs and contributing to a more robust and balanced internal milieu.

Step 5: Manage Stress

Implement stress management practices like relaxation, breathing, mindfulness, meditation, or yoga to mitigate excessive stress levels effectively.

Stress reduction promotes better mental well-being and significantly improves metabolic health by minimizing the impact of AGEs within the body.

Additionally, sufficient and restorative sleep is pivotal in combating AGE-related effects. Quality sleep is a potent tool in reducing oxidative stress, empowering the body to counteract the adverse effects of AGEs more effectively.

This comprehensive approach towards stress alleviation and ensuring optimal sleep quality is foundational in mitigating AGE-induced implications, cultivating a healthier internal balance.

Conclusions and Takeaways

Understanding how sugars interact with proteins or fats to create AGEs is vital in managing metabolic health and aging.

By choosing healthier foods, better cooking methods, controlling blood sugar, exercising regularly, managing stress, and ensuring good sleep, we tackle the harmful effects of AGEs.

In addition, smoking significantly boosts the production and accumulation of AGEs in the body, contributing to accelerated aging and increased risks of age-related diseases and complications. So quitting it permanently is a wise choice. Here is how I quit smoking 40 years ago.

Though simple, these steps work together as a roadmap toward a healthier, more balanced body, slowing aging and supporting better health and well-being.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.