How to Prevent AGEing

If you’re reading this, you are no doubt concerned about the impact of diet and lifestyle on your health. However, one key area of focus you may not have thought to pay attention to is the dangers of advanced glycation end products...you may not have even been aware of their existence at all.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs for short) are compounds that can form when you cook food at high temperatures. Depending on your diet and overall health, they can start to build up in your body, which can be a big problem since they've been linked to a range of health problems, from diabetes to cardiovascular disease.

Let's look into the science behind AGEs and what you can do to protect yourself from their deleterious effects.

What Are Advanced Glycation End Products?

AGEs are compounds that contribute to oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. Without getting into all the chemistry of it, the short explanation is that AGEs can form as a normal part of metabolic pathways in the body from the chemical reaction that combines certain kinds of sugar molecules with groups of proteins or lipids (from fats).

In simple terms, AGEs form when proteins or fats combine with sugars in the bloodstream in a process called glycation. But AGEs can also form in foods, especially foods that have been grilled, fried, or toasted, due to the high heat involved in those cooking methods. This means that even if you think you are eating a reasonably healthy meal (say, a grilled chicken breast), you could be consuming an unhealthy amount of AGEs without realizing it.

Where Do AGEs Come from?

One major source of both inflammation and increased AGEs is chronically elevated blood sugar caused by insulin resistance. Research has shown a strong link between blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes and AGE levels, for example.

We also get AGEs through diet from things like cooking sugars with protein or fat at very high heat. That means that sugary BBQ sauce smothered over your chicken thighs is potentially causing some real damage. The browning on a crust of bread or sear marks from the grill are also signs of the reaction that produces excess AGEs.

(Processed foods can also be a major source of AGEs, as well as all kinds of other unhealthy stuff, so it goes without saying to avoid them as much as possible!)

Why Are AGEs So Bad?

AGEs are a major concern because they are irreversible once formed. And it’s a dangerous cycle—more AGEs equal more inflammation, which increases AGEs, and the cycle continues.

Not only do AGEs have a major correlation with inflammation, but they have also been found to make many chronic conditions worse, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases. They are toxic molecules that create reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cause cell death, organ damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction.

In a nutshell, AGEs are counterintuitive to healthspan and longevity. They’re so bad, in fact, that many doctors are now starting to look at AGE levels as a marker of overall health.

How You Can Reduce Your AGE Intake

Luckily, there are a number of simple, lifestyle-based ways to reduce your AGE intake. I’ve listed a few of them below.

Balance your blood sugar. As mentioned above, AGEs tend to accumulate more in people with elevated blood sugar, so anything you can do to balance blood sugar levels will help in the fight against them. This includes things like eating well-balanced meals, avoiding sugary foods and drinks, and getting plenty of fiber.

Eat plenty of natural antioxidants. Research has shown that natural antioxidants like vitamin C, curcumin, and quercetin hinder AGE production in the body. The best way to get these is to focus on eating colorful fruits and vegetables and adding plenty of herbs and spices to your food.

In particular, olive leaf extract is a great source of antioxidants that has been shown to inhibit AGEs. It also has anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic, anti-cancer, and neuroprotective properties. The polyphenols in olive leaf even support the health of the gut microbiota by feeding our beneficial gut bugs, making it a great addition to your diet for overall health in addition to slowing down AGEs.

Avoid charred, sugar-coated (seasonings & marinades) or fried foods. Choosing healthier cooking methods is arguably the best way to reduce the amount of AGEs you consume. This means reducing the grilled and fried foods in your diet. Instead, try low, slow, moist cooking methods. Acidic marinades also help offset the production of AGEs, especially for meats.

Get plenty of exercise. I’ve said before that exercise is like a wonder drug with no adverse side effects—and here is yet another example. Studies have shown that regular movement and an active lifestyle help reduce the buildup of AGEs in the body.

In general, any steps you take to reduce inflammation and promote overall wellness will also be helpful when it comes to AGEs. This is a good thing because it means just about any action you take to become a healthier person will help in the fight to keep AGEs out of your body, where they can’t do any harm.

On a final note, please know that attending the occasional barbecue won’t dramatically increase the amount of AGEs in your body. But a diet characterized by less-healthy foods, or foods prepared in a less healthy way, can lead to a substantial increase in them over time. And since AGEs have been linked with so many adverse health effects, it’s wise to learn about them and use that knowledge as motivation to continue making healthy lifestyle choices a priority!

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